THE TAOISEACH HAS said he will not skip the queue to get a Covid-19 vaccine before the end of this year.

Under the government’s Covid-19 vaccination strategy, residents over the age of 65 at longterm residential care centres and healthcare workers with direct patient contact will be first to receive the vaccine.

Speaking this morning on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Martin said he would have “no issue” with being vaccinated in public, but he will wait his turn.

“The only issue is that I want to be in sequence, I believe in following the guidance from those who are advising on immunisation and that we’ll do it in order,” he said.

The advice is that any available vaccine now should go to somebody who needs it to stay alive or who needs it to avoid serious illness. And given the fact that we have low volumes coming in at the end of this month, I think it should go to somebody who actually needs it more than I need it.

The first vaccines in Ireland will be administered on 30 December. Cabinet has been told that some 10,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are expected to be delivered before Christmas. 

The government yesterday announced new restrictions, with some kicking in from Christmas Eve. Restaurants and gastro-pubs and personal services such as hairdressers will have to close from 24 December. From 27 December, household visits will reduce from two households to just one and inter-county travel will be restricted. 

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Following the announcement, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it will likely be Spring before tight restrictions can begin to be lifted. Martin said large-scale vaccination will allow the government to ease up on restrictions.

He said until there is “a critical mass of the population vaccinated”, it will not be possible to significantly relax measures.

“I think we will have to review some measures on the 12th [of January[, we’ll see where we are – and that works both ways. Certainly in terms of hospitality there are challenges in terms, but in terms of personal services, we’ll look at that again on the 12th.”