Written answers

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Intellectual Property

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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187. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his position on the TRIPS waiver, ahead of the World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial Conference; the engagements he has had with the European Union regarding its position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30785/22]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The WTO Ministerial Conference is currently underway in Geneva from 12thto 15thJune. This is the major decision-making forum for the WTO and the intention is that the intellectual property related aspects can be agreed as part of the broader WTO trade related response to the pandemic. A draft Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS is under intense discussion by Ministers with the aim of finding a solution that will be acceptable to all WTO Members. This draft Decision offers the most promising path towards achieving a meaningful outcome that will contribute to ensuring access to safe and effective vaccines across the globe.

The draft Decision provides for a waiver and clarification of some of the flexibilities within the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. If agreed, the proposal will address the concerns of South Africa and developing countries and will allow them to immediately authorise the manufacture, import and export of COVID-19 vaccines without the consent of the patent owners. At the same time, the solution maintains a functioning intellectual property framework which is crucial to incentivise investment and research that is necessary for the development of new vaccines and medicines.

As a member of the EU, Ireland has been fully engaged in the overall EU response in relation to the intellectual property aspects of the trade related response to the pandemic and will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission and other member states on the EU position for the discussions at the Ministerial Conference.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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188. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has had any engagements with a company (details supplied) regarding the TRIPS waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30786/22]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I attended a meeting at the request of representatives from the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) and Biopharmachem Ireland (BPCI) on 25thJune 2021. This meeting was attended by Paul Reid, who is the President of IPHA and Managing Director of Pfizer Healthcare Ireland. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a range of topics, which included the then WTO TRIPS waiver proposal.

A draft Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS waiver is one of the proposals under consideration at the WTO Ministerial Conference currently taking place in Geneva from 12thand 15thJune with the aim of finding a solution that will be acceptable to all WTO Members. The draft Decision offers the most promising path towards achieving a meaningful outcome that will contribute to ensuring access to safe and effective vaccines across the globe.

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