Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the approach Ireland is taking to supporting India as it deals with a surge in Covid-19 cases; the engagements he has had on the waiving of intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines; his views on such a waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24916/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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India's health system continues to battle the surging caseload in the country. Further to an earlier donation of 700 oxygen concentrators, the Government has donated a further 500 concentrators, 2 oxygen generators, and other vital materials to India. This additional donation arrived in Delhi Airport on Tuesday 4 May.

These donations formed part of the coordinated effort by EU Member States to provide a collaborative response to the situation in India and maximise our collective impact in the fight against the virus.

Ireland quadrupled our funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, and is fully engaged in efforts by the international community to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. My Department has provided €5 million in Irish Aid funding so far in 2021 to enable developing countries to access vaccines. The majority of this funding is going to the COVAX facility, the global UN-led mechanism for pooling procurement and fair distribution of vaccines.

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. International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties and the President of the EU Commission has responded to the U.S. announcement by indicating its readiness to discuss the U.S. proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines at the WTO.

Ireland will engage with the European Commission and other member states on the EU position for the WTO discussions, including discussions on how the U.S. proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines can help to resolve the crisis.

My Department, in consideration with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and other relevant Departments, are also 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.