South Africa has done the world a favour by identifying the Omicron variant, and the way we repay them is that the European Union, with the support of the Taoiseach's Government, has consistently refused the calls from South Africa and many other nations, almost the entire global scientific community and many non-governmental organisations for the lifting of the intellectual property restrictions on Covid vaccines so that countries such as South Africa and other poorer countries can get the right to produce vaccines themselves, which they have been screaming for. It is utterly disgraceful now, as we face Omicron, that the European Commission continues with this position and the Irish Government supports it, putting the profits of the pharmaceutical companies ahead of the need to vaccinate the world. Will the Taoiseach revisit that position?

The Deputy always puts ideology before the practical business of getting vaccines into the arms of people. That is the bottom line. A TRIPS waiver does not put extra vaccines into people's arms-----

It does.

-----but licensing arrangements and agreements and manufacturing capacity can. The European Union is working progressively with South Africa, Senegal and others in Africa to give them, first of all, long-standing sustainable capacity to manufacture but also, through licensing arrangements and agreements, the ability to get the vaccines.

South Africa is asking for the waiver, not me.

Let the Taoiseach respond, Deputy.

The bottom line is that it is always the same with certain Opposition Deputies.

South Africa is asking for the waiver, not me.

Through the Chair, it is always condemnation of the European Union. They condemn nobody else-----

South Africa is asking for the waiver. Will the Government give it to them?

-----who have done very little when it comes to the export of vaccines. I refer to over 150 countries and 800 million vaccines being exported by the European Union. I would argue with the Deputy that the European Union is the most progressive entity in respect of global supply of vaccines. It is about time he gave it some acknowledgement.