Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is absolutely imperative that some certification would issue during the course of the inoculation campaign. It would be simple enough to do. It may take a little bit of extra time, but not a lot. A card could be printed and then filled out and handed to people as they are inoculated. That is hugely important.

It is not the intention of this committee to micromanage the campaign but public confidence in the integrity of the system is hugely important. It will become even more important as this particular vaccination programme progresses. We have seen from the USA and Donald Trump the way fears can be manipulated and the obvious can be contradicted through social media. Professor MacCraith has already said that there will be a campaign to combat any negativity that may arise from certain quarters, including from conspiracy theorists. It is hugely important to be able to rebut their arguments instantly and to do so authoritatively. The scientific evidence and information necessary to rebut them must be readily available. Is that in hand? Has the task force attributed sufficient importance to it? Does it appreciate that the success of the inoculation campaign will depend not only on the logistics of it but on public confidence in it? Who wants to answer that?