Éamon Ó Cuív Confronts the Tánaiste on Global Vaccine Waiver
Éamon Ó Cuív challenged the Tánaiste over the rejection of a vaccine waiver, accusing rich states including the EU of blocking measures to improve global vaccine access. The Tánaiste said the EU negotiated at the World Trade Organisation and reported a limited TRIPS waiver agreement and urged implementation and delivery support.
Accusation against rich states and the EU
Éamon Ó Cuív said that on 17 June rich states, including the EU, "killed the vaccine waiver," noting past statements by the EU Commission President and the EU Council President that vaccines are a global public good. He highlighted stark inequity in vaccine distribution, saying only 18% of poor countries have received a first dose compared with 80% of affluent countries.
Question on Ireland's role
Ó Cuív pressed the Tánaiste on what Ireland will do independently of EU action to ensure vaccines reach the poorest and most deprived people worldwide. He asked specifically how Ireland would play its part despite the EU-level decision.
Tánaiste response on WTO negotiations and the TRIPS waiver
The Tánaiste said they attended World Trade Organisation talks in Geneva and explained that the EU negotiates on Ireland's behalf, so decisions were made at Commission level. The Tánaiste reported that an agreement on a TRIPS waiver was reached, though not as extensive as some wanted, and said the WTO process requires unanimity and consensus, with countries such as the UK and Switzerland resisting a broader outcome.
Focus on delivery and aid programmes
Speaking with ministers from developing countries such as India, the Tánaiste said supply is less of a constraint now — citing two billion vaccines available in India — and that the pressing need is for delivery systems on the ground. The Tánaiste said Ireland can assist through its aid programme, Gavi and other initiatives, and emphasised the need to implement the agreed TRIPS waiver and support vaccine delivery.
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Tanaiste, on the 17th of June, the rich states, including the EU, killed the vaccine waiver, despite the fact that EU Commission President von der Leyen had said that vaccines will be our common good, that was said two years ago, and the EU Council President said last year, immunisation is a global public good, but the reality is that only 18% of the poor countries have received the first vaccine, where 80% of the affluent countries have received this vaccine. My question is, what are we going to do in Ireland to play our part, irrespective of what the EU has done, to ensure that vaccines are available to the poorest and most deprived in our world? Thank you. Thanks, Deputy. I was in Geneva for the World Trade Organisation talks last week. As you know, the European Union negotiates on behalf of Ireland in these talks, so the decisions that were made were made at Commission level rather than Member State level, but we did manage to succeed and come to an agreement on a TRIPS waiver. It may not be the agreement that many people wanted, but the way the World Trade Organisation works is it only works on the basis of unanimity and consensus, and a lot of countries like the UK and Switzerland in particular are resistant to going any further. We would have gone a bit further, but that is the agreement that we have, and now we need to implement it. But certainly speaking to ministers from developing countries like India, for example, it was really interesting to hear what they had to say. They were saying that supply is not really particularly the issue anymore. India has two billion vaccines available, for example. The issues now are less about the supply and more about the delivery systems on the ground to actually get the vaccines to people. And that is where we can help, actually, through our aid programme and through Gavi and through other initiatives. Thank you. Deputy Costner.
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