The Government has announced a 15-phase plan for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

Adults over 65 in long-term care facilities will be the first group to receive the vaccine, followed by healthcare workers with direct contact to COVID-19 patients, and people in the general population who are over 70 years old.

Speaking on The Last Word, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed that the vaccine would be made available for free to everyone.

He was joined by Dr Jack Lambert, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Mater and UCD School of Medicine, and Priscilla Lynch, clinical editor of the Medical Independent.