The online portal for vaccination appointments begins opening to the public today.
People aged 69 will be the first to be able to make a booking.
It will then open to people aged 68 from tomorrow, with the age limit falling by a year every day until Monday.
From there it will remain open to people 65 and over until the next phase of the rollout begins.
The Department of Health said it was asking each age group to register on different days to “help us manage demand on the system, and make it easier for everyone to register.”
On The Hard Shoulder last night, the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said people registering in the coming days will get their vaccine appointment, “from the middle to the end of next week.”
He said it is a positive step for the country.
“This is the first day that the programme is now opening up to the general public,” he said.
“This vaccine programme couples with the fact that people have stuck well to the public health measures – meaning we now have one of the lowest COVID rates – this vaccine programme together with that really is the path out of this.
“So far, the plan is working.”
Online registration will open tomorrow at 10am for people aged 69. Registration will be available for people aged 68 on Friday, 67 on Saturday, 66 on Sunday and 65 on Monday. You'll need your PPSN, Eircode, mobile phone number & email address to register. https://t.co/PzO8RCSv4T pic.twitter.com/wz43wzuKuR
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) April 14, 2021
The portal will go live at 10am, with people able to make appointments either by phone or online.
A PPS number, eircode and phone number will be required for registration.
Meanwhile, the Government is insisting it is on track to offer 80% of Irish adults a first dose by the end of June, despite the ongoing issues with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
As of Monday, 1,076,216 vaccine doses had been administered in Ireland.
Some 758,763 people had received their first dose, with 317,453 people having received their second dose.
However, the decision to limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people in their 60s has seen tens of thousands of appointments cancelled this week.
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine boxes are seen at a vaccination site in the US.Image: Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images/Sipa USA
The HSE and the vaccines taskforce have also been considering the US recommendation to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The company began delivering its first doses to Europe yesterday; however, it has now delayed the rollout while the US investigation continues.
Yesterday, the EU announced that more than half a million extra Pfizer doses will be arriving in Ireland this quarter.
The Government is now considering allowing people under the age of 60 to take the AstraZeneca vaccine if they consent, and extending the time between Pfizer jabs so more adults can get one.
Ireland had expected to receive around 605,000 doses of the single-shot vaccine by the end of June.
