Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. We are in agreement on the strategy relating to the new variants. For example, South Africa and Brazil have the identified variant. Last night, the visa programme for those countries was suspended. In the context of new variants emerging globally, I agree that we need a robust system of protection in place which will keep those variants out of Ireland.

I am out of time. I am happy to study the Deputy's proposal. For what it is worth, my own view is that Ireland the more developed and wealthier world do have an obligation to make sure there is vaccine availability for those countries that cannot afford it. I am more than happy to engage with the Deputy further on that point.

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