Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

More than 3,000 people died from Covid in just one day in India yesterday. More than 360,000 were infected in the same day. The images on our television screens are ones of horror, showing a shortage of oxygen, car parks converted to crematoriums and a shortage of wood for funeral pyres. Meanwhile the Financial Timesreports: "As industry lobbying has escalated in Washington, companies have warned in private meetings with US trade and White House officials that giving up the intellectual property rights could allow China and Russia to exploit platforms such as mRNA, which could be used for other vaccines [heaven forbid] or even therapeutics for conditions such as cancer and heart problems in the future." Similar lobbying is taking place in Brussels. The EU is sending some oxygen but it is standing shoulder to shoulder with the US in fighting attempts at the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property rights for vaccines. Ireland is in the front line of the EU countries which are fighting this, and the Taoiseach knows it. I appeal to him to reverse the Government's position on this issue before the crucial WTO TRIPS, or trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, council meeting on Friday.

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