Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Covid-19 Vaccines: Discussion

Mr. Oliver O'Connor:

It is totally uncalled for to be accused of any such thing. The evidence I bring to bear for that, if I may, is the statement indeed from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from only three weeks ago. Three weeks ago it asked for a suspension of delivery of vaccines. That is really the basis of what I am saying. More is being produced than is capable of being administered currently in Africa. Of course there is a bigger demand. That should be delivered later, and it will be. The industry is scaling up production. It is going to continue to produce and serve the needs of patients in Africa. Absolutely. There is no call whatsoever for such language in this sort of debate.