Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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712. To ask the Minister for Health the position of Ireland in relation to a World Health Organisation proposal for a pandemic treaty; if he will advocate to bring about a people-centred legal instrument with commitments and practical mechanisms for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery based on human rights equity and principles; if the issues of innovation and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, sharing data and technology, building resilient health systems, transparency and financing pandemic preparedness and response, will be addressed in this treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59420/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland strongly supports a multilateral approach to global health issues with the WHO in a central leadership role. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the global status quo in terms of pandemic preparedness and response is not acceptable.

On 1 December 2021, the members of the World Health Organisation reached consensus to begin the process to negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Ireland supports the WHO led process to negotiate a binding legal instrument on pandemic preparedness and response. The aim of such a pandemic agreement is to protect public health and to help save lives in the event of future pandemics.

An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was established by WHO and has met twice in 2022, with another meeting scheduled for the 5-7 December. INB3 in December will discuss a Conceptual Zero Draft of the pandemic agreement. A progress report on the negotiations is expected to be delivered to the 76th World Health Assembly in 2023, with the aim of adopting the agreement by 2024.

The EU is a leading proponent of this process and Ireland, along with a majority of EU Member States, is part of the Group of Friends of the Treaty. It should be noted that while certain health matters are within the competency of EU Member States, other health matters are within the competency of the EU itself. Officials in my Department, working with Ireland's Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva, are engaging and will continue to engage with other Government Departments, the EU negotiator, and the INB bureau in this process.

As the proposed pandemic agreement is still in the very early stages of negotiation, it is not possible at this time to determine the precise issues which will eventually be included. However, all the issues raised by the Deputy are featuring in the discussions at present. Ireland will be advocating for an ambitious, fair and implementable agreement to protect public health through better pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.