Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start by commending my colleague, Senator Clifford-Lee, for highlighting the online survey commissioned by the Department of Justice. I also encourage everyone to participate. It is open from 18 June and five workshops will be online. It is really important that we develop an up-to-date, modern strategy to combat domestic and gender-based violence. We learned so much from Covid-19 and how women were to the fore. As my colleagues mentioned, many people were homebound in a really awful situation and it was desperately unfair. I really welcome this strategy.

Today, I would like to raise the issue of the Sinopharm vaccine. In May, the WHO gave emergency approval to this Chinese-made vaccine. To date, however, the European Medicines Agency has not approved it. I have been contacted by Irish citizens living in Dubai who are not able to return to Ireland because they would have mandatory quarantine. They have jobs and could not take that much time off work. It is important that we look after our Irish citizens. It was such a big step for the WHO to approve this vaccine that I wonder why the European Medicines Agency is taking so long. It seems like a vaccine that could be turned out really quickly. It is stored at a low refrigerated temperature and could really help fight the vaccine inequality we are seeing all over the world. As the WHO said, it is a really important tool to expand its COVAX programme. Could the Leader perhaps get information from the Minister on this issue?