There are reports from many GP surgeries across the State that they have not received the vaccines they were due to receive in recent days. Today in Ballyfermot, a 91-year-old woman was in a GP surgery waiting for her vaccine but had to be told to go home. That is happening far too often. Numerous other such cases were raised with the Minister today. Can he find out what is happening and can this be stopped? If it is communicated to GPs that they will receive vaccines on a given day and if older people are lining up to get them, it is deeply unfair for them to be sent home. I ask the Government to get its act together on this issue and to get the communication right. If vaccines are promised, they should be delivered.

On the same issue, but in my constituency of Cork South-West, the roll-out of the vaccine has been very confusing to say the least. In some situations, even up to a week ago, doctors in west Cork did not even have vaccines for themselves, never mind their patients. Perhaps that has been corrected but home helps in west Cork, who are at the front line, have not yet received the vaccine. It is unbelievable to see the roll-out moving on through the categories while some in the first categories have not yet been looked after. I would appreciate it if the Minister could explain why this is happening so that I can explain it to my constituents.

I have been contacted by student nurses who are to go on placement in a number of months who have not been given their first vaccine. They have been called back a second time to be given their first vaccine. They feel embarrassed because people who are over 85, some of whom have contacted me, still do not have a date for their first vaccination. There are vaccines in Tuam but there are no needles. There is confusion in this regard. We will not be able to roll this out within the steady timeframe required if this confusion continues.

On the same issue, we have the same situation in Cobh. More than 60 appointments for people over 85 years to get their vaccinations were made for last weekend and two surgeries in the town did not got their vaccines. It is very confusing and disheartening for the patients. They are elderly and very nervous. There must be clarity in this regard because it is starting to cause hysteria, especially in my constituency of Cork East. Something similar is also happening in Youghal. It must be looked at.

Will Deputies Cullinane, Michael Collins and Buckley provide me with specific details? We cannot have a 91-year-old woman in that situation. I do not know the circumstances. If the Deputies will provide details, I will forward them to the HSE to try to find out what happened.

In response to Deputy Tóibín, we are in the second week of a three-week roll-out. In those circumstances, I trust and expect that if someone has not heard about their vaccination yet, they will hear about it in the coming days. If they do not, they should follow up and make sure to get it. While there will undoubtedly be cases of difficulties or shortages - one GP in Belmullet was short and received vaccines from a neighbouring parish where there was an excess - my sense of what is happening around the country is that, as soon as vaccines come in, they go out. We did 78,000 or 79,000 last week when the target was 80,000. We are aiming for 100,000 this week. It is working. There may be cases in which it is not working and we have to find and address these. The public should, however, have confidence that the system is working.

I commend the Government on making good progress on the vaccines. Some 45% getting a first dose by the end of April, 60% by the end of May and 80% by the end of June is very satisfactory. My question is on those under the age of 16, for whom no vaccine is approved. Yesterday, we saw the death from Covid of a person aged 16. I know there is no approved vaccine for this cohort but has the Government developed a strategy to keep those people safe? Should we consider vaccinating their own carers? When will the pharmacists be involved in the systematic roll-out?

There has been a change with regard to the age rule. Until recently, the rule applied to those under 18. That change followed medical advice. I understand that the vaccine was not tested in those younger age cohorts and that is one of the reasons the vaccine is not to be rolled out to them. Their carers will all get vaccinated when their category within the order of 15 is reached. We want to get everyone, the entire population aged over 16, vaccinated. Anyone caring for those under 16 will be included. As I said to Deputy Kelly and others earlier, I expect the HSE to be able to publish the exact timetable for the roll-out, including with regard to the involvement of pharmacists, shortly.