300,000 Covid-19 vaccines a week in April, Leo Varadkar tells Fine Gael members

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has set out ambitious vaccine targets in a letter issued to members of his parliamentary party. Picture: Julien Behal

The Tánaiste has told his parliamentary party the Government will administer up to 300,000 vaccines a week in April.

In a letter sent to each representative in his parliamentary party, and seen by the Irish Examiner, Leo Varadkar laid out the new vaccine targets in response to criticisms within his own party about Government communications.

Sources within the party say the letter, which was sent along with a copy of the new Government Living with Covid plan, has been received as "a two fingers" to those who took issue with Government communications at last Wednesday's parliamentary party meeting.

The letter says Mr Varadkar took "on board fully the reasoned criticisms about communications" and believes the new Government plan "is an opportunity for a reset".

"Communication is a job for all of us and, with this plan, there is no reason for any of us to be 'off message' for the next few months," he wrote.

The letter goes on to detail five talking points for TDs and senators in Fine Gael, including a focus on opening schools, childcare and pre-schools in March.

"In the run-up to Easter, if we continue on the current trajectory in terms of falling cases and reduced pressure on our hospitals, consideration will be given to the following changes on April 5; relaxation of the 5km rule, re-opening construction, click & collect and allowing more outdoor activity to take place. No further easing of restrictions will be considered until end of April or early May," he wrote.

"The vaccine programme will be accelerated in March and April. Roughly 100k vaccines will be administered per week in March rising to 200-300k in April," he said.

There will be a renewed focus on better ventilation, rapid antigen testing and test, trace, isolate."

Fine Gael sources have noted that recent meetings were the first time Mr Varadkar has ever received sustained criticism from his own parliamentary party and the letter may hope to quell dissent.

"I think he's being very clever," one party source said.

He's saying loud and clear, we're not to have these rows at the meeting and try and quell the anxiety.

"I don't know why he sent us the plan, we didn't need the plan, the people who wrote the plan could do with reading the plan.

"I wondered if this is his way of sending a message to Fianna Fáil that he was dealing with us."