Oireachtas Members were briefed yesterday on the subject of global vaccine equity and access by Irish academic and scientific experts. They were told that a waiver on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS, is essential. They told us the EU tactic is to use its counterproposal as a stalling tactic. This counterproposal focuses on existing provisions and compulsory licensing and does not go anywhere near far enough. Compulsory licensing only deals with the patent aspect of intellectual property, IP, and does not deal with trade secrets, data exclusivity or other overlapping layers. My party and others have been accused of virtue signalling about a TRIPS waiver, but nothing could be further from the truth. We can see the alternatives, such as COVAX, are not working. The Government has failed to support a TRIPS waiver but will the Government agree to meet with these academic and scientific experts, the People’s Vaccine Alliance, to hear their concerns?

I will pass on the Deputy's request for a meeting to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, but it is worth highlighting the work that we have done on this issue. Up to yesterday, the Government had already approved a donation of up to 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries in the coming months. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, received the approval of Government for a further commitment to bring our overall contribution up to 3 million surplus Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries. Ireland is playing a very significant role, as is right and proper.