Ireland to get additional 46,500 vaccine doses this month amid lockdown restrictions warning

Ireland is set to get an additional 46,500 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine following an EU procurement deal.

The European Commission today announced it had secured an additional four million more doses of Covid-19 vaccines for Member States in the next two weeks

Taosieach Micheal Martin confirmed the news on Twitter about the boost to Ireland's vaccine rollout.

Mr Martin said: "Pleased this morning to have confirmation from Commission President @vonderleyen that Ireland will secure an additional 46,500 Pfizer BioNTech vaccines before the end of March.

"When they get here, they will be administered quickly. Efforts ongoing to increase production."

The doses have been secured "in order to tackle coronavirus hotspots and to facilitate free border movement."

Announcing the extra delivery of jabs EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said: “ To tackle aggressive variants of the virus and to improve the situation in hotspots, quick and decisive action is necessary.

"I'm happy to announce today an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer, who will offer to Member States to make available a total of four million doses of vaccines before the end of March which will be supplied in addition to the planned dose deliveries.

A paramedic draws up the AstraZeneca/Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine at the Darlington Arena Vaccination Centre (Getty Images)

"This will help Member States in their efforts to keep the spread of new variants under control. Through their targeted use where they are most needed, in particular in border regions, these doses will also help ensure or restore free movement of goods and people.

"These are key for the functioning of health systems and the Single Market.”

Meanwhile Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman has said that lifting Covid-19 restrictions were likely to be in line with how many vaccines we can actually administer.

Mr O'Gorman said the Government was "deeply frustrated" that the commitments made by pharmaceutical companies about the delivery of vaccines were not being met.

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O Gorman TD during a Government Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. (Collins Photo Agency)

When asked about the possibility of restrictions being lifted, the minister said that any lessening of restrictions would have to be "tailored in conjunction with the rollout of the vaccination programme".

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland he added that the country was making "real progress" in bringing down infection levels thanks to adherence to Level Five restrictions.