Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague for allowing me a minute of speaking time on this as I really want to put on record my support for the TRIPS waiver. There are matters that are beyond party politics. We are all living through this pandemic. As politicians and legislators, there are periods when we want to be on the right side of history and this is one of them. We really want to be on the right side of history when it comes to this TRIPS waiver. As Senator Gavan has said, Members should go missing rather than vote against this TRIPS waiver. Doing so will lead to them being judged by history.

I want to flag something that galls me. There are many arguments about why we cannot have a TRIPS waiver and one centres on a lack of necessary production capacity in other countries. What galls me about such arguments is not only that they are patronising and false but they perpetuate the colonial mindset that we have in the global north that countries cannot do this and we must do it for them. It is the idea that we must hold their hand. It is what we are saying to these countries but analysis indicates there are 100 suitable manufacturing sites ready to go if we give this TRIPS waiver. As others have said, the production of mRNA vaccines is less complex than traditional vaccines. It is bad enough that the pharmaceutical industry is putting out those red herrings. We cannot be handmaidens to those companies. We cannot peddle their myths. They are not true and the facts are on the side of a TRIPS waiver. The Government must decide tonight whether it is on that side as well.