We have heard time and again that nobody is safe until everybody is safe, in the context of vaccine justice and equity. Tomorrow, the World Trade Organization, WTO, meets to discuss the potential waiver of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS. The Tánaiste is our Minister with responsibility for trade. I asked the Taoiseach this question at several points yesterday and did not get an answer. What is the Government's position on the TRIPS waiver?

One thing we all need to acknowledge, when it comes to the miracle that is the development of these vaccines, is that they were developed by private enterprise and with the help of Government funding-----

Public money.

-----and with the private and public sectors working together and we need to acknowledge that. Were it not for private enterprise, it is possible these vaccines would not have been developed.

As it happens, none of the vaccines are made in Ireland and the intellectual property does not sit in Ireland, so our position on that has to be seen in that context. There are discussions on a waiver request. They will continue at the TRIPS council meeting tomorrow but I am informed that no decision will be made at the meeting and discussions will be ongoing for some time. The EU is open to trying to reach an agreement with all members of the WTO on how to achieve the shared goal of providing timely and secure access to safe and affordable vaccines and medicines for all. We are welcoming the proposal of the WTO Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is exploring a third way to expand access to vaccines through a licensing system.