Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also express my sympathy and outrage at the attempted assassination of the Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, and the very serious threat of life to Malachy Steenson, who is a candidate for the EU elections.I want to raise my concerns again about the WHO pandemic treaty, particularly in light of pharma giant AstraZeneca requesting that its Covid-19 vaccine be withdrawn by the European Medicines Agency, EMA. The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was first approved by the EMA in January 2021. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine's safety when dozens of countries suspended its use when unusual but rare blood clots were detected in several immunised people. At that time, the EMA did not deem the risk to be high enough to reject approval. Why is this relevant to the WHO treaty? It is relevant because the treaty provides for liability-free vaccine development. More than 3 billion doses of this vaccine were administered globally. The AstraZeneca vaccine was distributed to poor countries through the UN's co-ordinated programme because it was cheaper and easier to procure and distribute. Months after the manufacturer of this vaccine admitted in court documents that the jab can cause a rare but dangerous side effect, we now finally see its removal from the market by the company citing commercial reasons and a lack of demand as the reasons for the withdrawal.

Over 80% of the WHO funding comes from special interests, such as large pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic concerns, that have a significant influence on the organisation and the treaty to which I refer. It is simply irreconcilable that liability-free vaccine development would be a standard and acceptable practice in the context of future pandemics. The process surrounding WHO proposals seems to be in disarray, with a rush to meet administrative deadlines for the various programmes, including that relating to the sustainable development goals. I urge the Government to follow the lead of the Dutch Parliament, which has already decided to delay its vote in order to thoroughly examine the implications of this law. Other countries that have concerns include the UK and Slovenia. In addition, 49 US Senators and 22 attorneys general in America oppose the treaty. A delay is necessary for several reasons, including the need for the Covid-19 inquiry to thoroughly examine the WHO's role during the pandemic, especially in light of the impact it had on Ireland's response measures. Other provisions in the latest version of the WHO's proposals, such as those relating to biological warfare agent proliferation, raise significant concerns about sovereignty, human rights and transparency.

I call for a robust debate on this matter in order that we might discuss the critical issues to which I refer. It is essential Members of the Houses have the opportunity to fully understand and discuss the implications of the proposed measures. We must learn from and account for the mistakes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. We must not rush to sign up to another set of international obligations without answering to our own people and ensuring that their public health interests come first.