Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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This issue has been on the agenda for some time. Taiwan, as a broader issue, has been there for longer, but I do not want to talk about that. However, much I want to see enhanced relations between Ireland and Taiwan and enhanced trade and enhanced acceptance of Taiwan, as an autonomous and self-determining state, that is probably a more controversial issue than the one I want to raise with the Minister of State.

Ireland is very much aware of the contribution Taiwan can make. Given what we have been through in the past couple of years, as a world community, we understand better than before the importance of global connectivity in terms of dealing with pandemics and all kinds of other health issues. As the health arm of the UN, the WHO is the body where we all come together as nations of the world to discuss these issues but perhaps most importantly, to broker solutions to them and to predict where problems will arise so we can be prepared for them when they happen. Like every other country that has dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic in the past couple of years, Ireland has benefited from the level of expertise and knowledge vested in the WHO. Perhaps also from that, we have seen the benefit or potential for that knowledge that can come from Taiwan and the expertise it has within its very substantial health capacity.

It is not the case that Taiwan has not played its part globally in that regard. We know it also plays its part in terms of the invasion of Ukraine. When that happened, Taiwan was to the forefront in providing aid and assistance in health terms to Ukraine. Obviously, Ireland has also played its part but it is important to acknowledge for Taiwan, as a country that lives under the shadow of China, to continue to play that part is particularly laudable and worthy of recognition.

The World Health Assembly is part of the WHO. The 76th World Health Assembly will take place on 21 May. Yesterday, in these Houses, the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Society welcomed Representative Chen Ching-min to the Houses of the Oireachtas to discuss this issue. She is a medical professional but is also a member of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan. To hear her speak about the issues and their importance was quite striking. I am also co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which has been very strong in its support of the role Taiwan has to play in international affairs. Looking at it from that perspective, it is very difficult to understand why we do not as a global community strive to include the knowledge bank that is Taiwan in all the things we want to do, particularly when it comes to something that, let us be honest, is apolitical. I do not know what the rationale behind Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO is apart from fear of repercussions from China and dissatisfaction on the part of China regarding any inclusion of Taiwan in international organisations.

The WHO is less about politics and more about solving global health problems. Taiwan has the capacity to help with the solution of those problems. Taiwan has expertise and a willingness to share that expertise and its experience in terms of global health. It makes perfect sense for Taiwan to be included in the WHO and more importantly, in the upcoming World Health Assembly - even as an observer. That is all it is asking for.For Taiwan to play its part would be of benefit to everyone, including China, whether it recognises that or not. I would like to hear the Minister of State say the Government supports that rational, reasonable and proportionate response to the possibility of Taiwan playing its part in the World Health Assembly. Let us bring it into the tent, hear what it has to say and share its knowledge.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. I appreciate the spirit in which the question has been presented. Ireland has been significantly deepening its collaboration with World Health Organization across all levels, including with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. This closer engagement has been driven in part by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated global health processes.

The WHO is an important pillar of the United Nations system, to which Ireland is committed in the context of our broader support for the rules-based multilateral order. Last July, I was honoured to represent Ireland, as one of 40 ministers for older persons, at an important United Nations conference.

The annual World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of World Health Organization attended by delegations from all WHO member states as well as observers. Observers have included the Holy See and Palestine, international organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and regional groups. The Minister for Health, as the Senator said, will lead Ireland's delegation to the WHA next week. The assembly will consider a number of important issues relating to global health matters.

The matter before us relates to Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly. Taiwan, as Chinese Taipei, has an existing precedent of participation in the multilateral system. It has full membership of a number of organisations, including the World Trade Organization, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, body and the Asian Development Bank.

Taiwan attended the World Health Assembly from 2009 to 2016 on the invitation of the director general of the World Health Organization. At that time, Taiwan participated on the same basis as other observers to the annual meeting. However, since 2016, it has not been invited to participate. Taiwan prioritises medical co-operation in its international relations. During the pandemic, it undertook activities focused on vaccine co-operation, hosting research conferences and offering support to developing countries' health systems. Taiwan's experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS, is widely accepted to have given it specific expertise in dealing with pandemics. In this context, we believe that Taiwan has expertise to share, at a technical level, on Covid-19 and other health matters.

As the Senator will be aware, in a recent speech, the Tánaiste underlined the Government's continuing commitment to the One China policy. In his speech, the Tánaiste also stated that the policy does not preclude the development of economic, cultural and people-to-people connections or the meaningful participation of Taiwan in relevant multilateral forums. In this context, we consider that co-operation on global health matters falls within the parameters of the One China policy and that Taiwan can make a technical contribution to the global health agenda.

Our experience of the pandemic has renewed our understanding of the importance of the multilateral system. The lessons learned from managing Covid-19 around the world are crucial for our future responses to managing global health issues.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge what the Minister of State has said and appreciate its tone as regards the value that Ireland places on Taiwanese co-operation. I also appreciate what the Tánaiste said in his speech at the Royal Irish Academy’s conference on 2 May. I am not sure the headline I would have taken from that speech was a reaffirmation of Ireland's support for the One China policy. What was much more important than that is the acknowledgement that as global colleagues, we must also raise with China issues with which we are not happy. One of those has to be Taiwan. The Minister of State referred to "a technical contribution" being made. Why can Taiwan not be a proper and full observer at the WHO? Would that not make sense? The Minister of State acknowledged the contribution Taiwan can make on SARS and Covid-19, while at the same time noting that it has not been invited to be an observer since 2016. Why not? Why can Ireland not say Taiwan should be there as an observer? It should play its full part in whatever way it can. Let us do that for the benefit of everyone - China, Ireland, Taiwan and all the other countries of the world.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The scale of the Covid-19 response and recovery requires us to utilise all the tools and knowledge that we can mobilise to ensure we have the best defences in place should we be faced with a future global health emergency. We are all aware of the importance of global co-operation in the field of public health. Much of this is technical in nature and involves a wide variety of stakeholders. We believe that Taiwan has expertise to share at a technical level on Covid-19 and other health matters. As the strongest of supporters of the rules-based multilateral order, Ireland advocates for inclusiveness in our international organisations where this is appropriate.

As I said, Ireland adheres to the One China policy. This does not preclude the development of economic and people-to-people links. The participation of Taiwan as an observer at the annual World Health Assembly is now a matter for the wider membership of the World Health Organization but, as the Senator clearly outlined, Ireland is a supporter of such participation.