Tánaiste insists summer 2021 will still happen

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar: 'I think we will be able to have beers outdoors with friends this summer and get around the country.'

The Tánaiste has said there is still a possibility Irish people will get to socialise this summer.

And Leo Varadkar said he believed the Government target of 70%-80% of all adults being vaccinated by September “is still doable.”

In terms of what this year's summer could look like, Varadkar told 2FM's Breakfast with Doireann & Eoghan: “I think because of the vaccine and because of the change in the weather and because of what everyone is doing to get the virus down you know, I think there is a very good chance that this summer we will be able to have home holidays a bit like we did last summer you know.” 

The Tánaiste envisions socialising with friends outdoors will again be possible: “I think we will be able to have beers outdoors with friends this summer and get around the country but you just never know because this virus has torn up our plans so many times."

Mr Varadkar advises people who plan to book home holidays to make sure it is cancellable: “I have booked my home holiday for August. [At] Sligo, had hoped to go to a beach somewhere, not going to happen well it will be a beach in Sligo but had hoped to get somewhere sunny and warm."

"If you are going to book make sure that it is cancellable.” 

Commenting on the change in the order of who will receive what vaccine, the Tánaiste said he was confident they are on track for September’s goal: "Because of the developments in the last couple of days, we will have to change the order of who gets which vaccine when, but we will still have the same number of vaccines in total. 

"So that target of getting 70%-80% of adults vaccinated by September that is still do-able. We still think that will be achieved..."

The Government has decided to vaccinate those in the over-70s group with Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines after being advised that AstraZeneca could be less effective in older people.

The chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), infectious disease expert, Professor Karina Butler has said there would be no significant time delay in the rollout and the HSE was working very hard on the delivery of vaccines, whether through vaccinations centres or GPs.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she said AstraZeneca vaccine could still be used for people aged over 70 if there were delays in the delivery of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

“If there are going to be significant delays, the best vaccine is the one that is available to you at the time,” she said.

She added that all vaccines could be used across all age groups and all could protect people against being hospitalised and becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.