Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Earlier I explained the reason for my absence and if I ask a question that has already been asked let me know and I can read the transcript.

Mr. O'Connor has said that the industry wants to see the development of capability in Africa but he did not advance suggestions as to how that could happen or happen quickly. I am not saying that the industry is hesitant or hostile to doing the right thing but we all know what the right thing is, which is to ensure there are vaccines and treatments. Let us not forget the treatments because there is a danger that we will focus all of our energy and efforts on vaccines and the train has moved on because increasingly treatments are being spoken about.

In terms of the change of rules, Mr. O'Connor has said that the change in rules will have an impact. Of course they will. I know that, everyone seated in this room knows that and anyone watching this discussion knows that. Mr. O'Connor called it a change in rules and Professor McMahon described it as not so much a change in rules but a temporary suspension of them. I can see Mr. O'Connor nodding. A temporary suspension is a change but it is not a change in rules. Mr. O'Connor said that there will be an impact. Is there a potential for the impact to be very positive? Will the impact move the figures that we have looked at? We all agree that the figure is too low and I refer to the 1% of people in low-income countries who are boosted compared with 60% here. Is there a chance that 1% could move closer to 60%? If so, would that not be a very good thing? If everything stays as it is then we are dealing with the figures whereby 13% of the people in low-income countries have received two doses compared with 75% of people in high-income countries. That is not good and the situation must change. If change involves a changing of the rules, as described by Mr. O'Connor or what Professor McMahon has described as a temporary suspension of the rules with some of those to be negotiated at the level of each individual State, is that not a good thing?