STEPHEN DONNELLY claims that Ireland's vaccination programme is more successful than any other European nation's.
While visiting a number of vaccine centres in Waterford and Limerick on Wednesday, Ireland's Health Minister thanked staff for their help in making the country's vaccine rollout "the most successful in Europe."
"Part of the reason is the amazing job being done in our vaccination centres. Every staff member, volunteer, etc, deserves huge thanks," he said.
While Ireland's vaccine rollout has undoubtedly come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of months, particularly after the stuttering start it experienced at the beginning of the year, figures suggest that Minister Donnelly might have been stretching the truth a little.
Our World In Data statistics show that in terms of daily Covid-19 vaccine doses administered per 100 people, Ireland is currently ranked 4th in Europe, behind Portugal, Sweden and Spain.
Now 4th isn't bad at all, but it's not the same as 1st, is it?
There are also a number of different ways to measure the 'success' of a vaccination programme. For example, Ireland is ranked 15th in the table for the number of people per 100 to have received at least on dose of the vaccine.
We're also yet to surpass the UK in terms of percentage of population fully vaccinated.
But whether we're 1st, 4th or 15th doesn't really matter all that much. The fact is, vaccines are being administered, and the rollout is going from strength to strength.
On Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin revealed that over 70% of Ireland's total population had now been fully vaccinated, and that 85% of all adults have received at least one jab.
HSE boss Paul Reid said that Ireland's rollout was proving to be "a great example" to other European nations earlier this week, and who could argue, particularly as the nation's programme prepares to 'overtake' the UK's next week.
