WATCH: Cork City Hall reaches 50k milestone as Martin says 70% of adults to be vaccinated by end of July

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said Ireland is now aiming to have 70% of adults fully vaccinated by the end of July.

He made the comment as medics in Cork City Hall celebrate reaching 50,000 vaccine doses administered. 

There is a party atmosphere in the Cork vaccine centre today, with balloons and music to mark the milestone. 

Mr Martin said the national target was very much dependent on securing sufficient supply.

He said Ireland was set to reach the “significant milestone” of having one million people fully vaccinated by the end of Thursday.

Asked about next month’s target, Mr Martin told reporters in Dublin: “The aim would be to try and get to 70% fully vaccinated.

“It’ll be challenging, it’ll be very tight. The decision and the recommendations from NIAC (National Immunisation Advisory Committee) to shorten the interval between the second doses of AstraZeneca will help.

“A lot will depend on uptake in the younger age cohort. It’s very, very important that people take up the vaccine offer when they get an offer because if we all get vaccinated we protect each other.” 

Mr Martin, who was visiting the APC pharmaceutical research firm, highlighted that Ireland had very high uptake rates in older age groups.

“I think it’s very, very important as we go down to the younger age cohorts that we have the same levels of participation and uptake of the vaccines as we’ve had in the older age cohorts,” he added.