Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am always happy to accommodate a colleague. In pre-European Council meeting statements in the House, Deputy O'Connor and I expressed deep concern about our preparedness for the return of international aviation. Many other Deputies share that concern. The Government has said precious little about it in the House. That is problematic in the context of the preparedness we discussed yesterday for the hospitality sector. Aviation is a sector that requires preparations weeks in advance in order to plan. I have my concerns and clarity has been sought on the matter. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to relay those concerns to his colleagues.

On the outcomes of the European Council meeting, I was proud that the Irish Government and other EU governments sent a strong message to the Hungarian Government about its stance on LGBT rights. Anti-LGBT laws introduced in Hungary go against the core principles of the European Union and all its citizens, regardless of colour, creed or sexual orientation. All people should be equal before the law and respected by their respective governments. The actions of Hungary and Poland in recent months and years have been an affront to EU citizens regardless of geography. We cannot turn a blind eye to the increasingly regressive approach taken by some member states.

I echo the comments made by some previous speakers. This is a moment in European history that we will look back on and we may ask why we did not do more. My colleague, Deputy Richmond, referenced the Fidesz party's presence in the European People's Party, of which Fine Gael is a proud member. The European People's Party acted far too late but the correct course of action came to pass in the end.

The European project, a collection of nations with 450 million citizens, must ensure there are mechanisms in place whereby if the rights of citizens in certain member states are not being honoured, actions and steps can be taken to vindicate those rights. In the future, such moments will be considered as defining for the European Union. At a time when authoritarian governments are on the rise across the globe, we, as committed Europeans who are committed to peace and democracy, should take a firm and unequivocal stance against regressive behaviours within our ranks. In doing so, we will send a message to the wider world that social progress and freedoms will be defended.

I welcome the consideration given during the European Council meeting to hold a special session in November 2021 to discuss the framework convention on pandemic preparedness and response and continue to work towards the development of an international treaty with regard to future pandemics. That is a welcome step taken by the European Union. It is unfortunate that as the global population increases, the more likely it is that we will uncover or release - whatever way one describes it - future pandemics. Unfortunately, scientists have warned us of the occurrence of more regular pandemics in the future. We live in a connected world where even uninhabited islands in the Pacific are regularly visited by humans. The deepest, darkest jungle is not too far away and, on that basis, future pandemics may arise.

To refer briefly to the debate on the TRIPS waiver, I had to bite my tongue when I listened to one Deputy speaking about the responsibilities of the western world. A TRIPS waiver is a great idea. As my colleague, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, stated, it is a component of the response the world should give to the global south. It is like providing ingredients for a recipe, in that there is not much point in providing ingredients to somebody who does not have a kitchen. For us to response appropriately as rich nations, we should provide vaccines to the global south or we should ensure the likes of the TRIPS waiver is applied in countries where such vaccines can be mass-produced and provided to the global south. That is the solution to a global pandemic and the answer to the question as to when we will all be safe.

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