Written answers

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

International Agreements

Photo of Neasa HouriganNeasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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774. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the consideration he has given to the recommendations of the Report on the Distribution of Covid-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries produced by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence; his views on the recommendations in the report in respect of COVAX, the Covid technology access pool or C-TAP, and the potential relaxation of intellectual property rights in order to increase access to and supply of Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15349/21]

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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776. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the consideration he has given to the recommendations of the Report on the Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries that was produced by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence; if he will address the recommendations, in particular the potential relaxation of intellectual property rights in order to increase access to and supply of Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15388/21]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 774 and 776 together.

I would like to thank the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence for their recent Report on the Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries, whose recommendations are being considered by the relevant Government Departments.

Ireland is fully supporting efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. The Government quadrupled funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which has the COVAX facility as a centrepiece. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment leads on Intellectual Property Rights, and is giving consideration to Ireland’s potential participation in technology-pooling mechanisms such as the C-TAP initiative.

My Department continues to liaise with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on this on an ongoing basis. In the meantime, my Department has announced €5 million in Irish Aid funding to support developing countries to access COVID-19 vaccines. Most of this funding is going through the COVAX facility, a global UN-led mechanism for pooling procurement and fair distribution of the vaccines. This is part of at least €50 million allocated by my Department to Global Health in 2021.

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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775. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement his Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in respect of COVAX, and Covid technology access pool or C-TAP; the position taken by Ireland on the European Commission's opposition to a TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 vaccines at the meeting in March of the World Trade Organization; the engagement he plans to have with that Department in advance of the next WTO meeting in April; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15376/21]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is fully supporting efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. The Government quadrupled funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which has the COVAX facility as a centrepiece.

The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment leads on Intellectual Property Rights and World Trade Organisation (WTO) matters, including on the current discussion on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. They are giving consideration to Ireland’s potential participation in technology-pooling mechanisms such as the C-TAP initiative. My Department continues to liaise with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on this and a number of related matters, on an ongoing basis.

In the meantime, my Department has announced an additional €5 million in Irish Aid funding for the response to Covid-19, to enable developing countries access vaccines. Most of this funding is going to the COVAX facility, a global UN-led mechanism for pooling procurement and fair distribution of vaccines. This is part of the €50 million allocated by my Department to global health in 2021.

I would like to thank the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence for their recent 'Report on the Distribution of Covid-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries', the recommendations of which are being considered across relevant Government Departments.

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