Mattie McGrath demands vaccine indemnity and compensation
Mattie McGrath raised concerns about families he said were affected by vaccines and asked why they have not received indemnity or support, arguing pharma firms have money and power while families do not. The Taoiseach responded by outlining the global COVID-19 context, explaining the role of government collaboration and indemnity in vaccine development, and confirming work on a no-file compensation scheme.
Concerns about vaccine harm
Mattie McGrath said many constituents, including young children, have been affected by vaccines and that families have had to fight through the courts. He described the trauma, the financial costs, and a sense of being pushed aside by the state and large pharmaceutical companies.
Call for indemnity and support for families
The Deputy asked why affected families are not being indemnified or given support, asserting that pharmaceutical companies have the money and power while families do not. He stressed that people frightened by vaccine risks want protection and recourse when a family member becomes very sick.
Government explanation of indemnity and vaccine procurement
The Taoiseach replied that governments do not produce vaccines and outlined the international collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines quickly. He said pre-purchase agreements and indemnity were important to provide the financial wherewithal to fund rapid vaccine development, and noted the global death toll from COVID-19 cited in the debate.
Update on compensation scheme
The Taoiseach confirmed a working group had been established and that the government is committed to bringing in a no-file compensation scheme to address vaccine-related claims and support affected families.
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Deputy Matthew McGrath on the same Operating Lab. Deputy Speakerant Commenter � obf posed by the government, and the former government has identified all these big fama companies. I have, and we all have, in our constituencies – a lot of young children who were觉得 the henco vaccine were affected, and they have to fight quite frequently all the way through the courts. Why don't you give them some kind of indemnity or support? Now we're going to have a debate about this vaccine, and people are frightened of their life because they've seen what happened the vaccines over the years and the damage that have been done to families and the trauma and the costs and just being pushed aside by the state and big farmers just walking off into the sunset. Why do they have to be indemnified? They have the money and the power. The families don't have the money or the power. Are they aware of it when they have a very sick child or a very sick family person as a result of a vaccine? They have cost so much to prove that. Why won't you indemnify those? Thank you Deputy Taoiseach. First of all, let's get the context clear here. We're dealing with a virus that has killed people all over the world. That's the first point and it continues to kill people. I think we're talking about one and a half million people globally have died as a result of COVID-19. The governments on their own do not produce vaccines or do not produce medicines. We don't have state pharmaceutical factories anywhere that I'm aware of. Maybe some states may have, but then there can be sometimes dubious issues around that too. In this case, what you've witnessed is a very strong collaboration between governments, be it the United States government, be it the European Union collectively working with pharmaceutical companies with a view to getting a vaccine. Research produced, developed very quickly relative to what would have happened in the past. Now it's using existing technologies that would have been developed over the years in many instances. But the part of that package from pre-purchase to enable the financial wherewithal to be there to fund the upfront costs of developing a vaccine. Secondly, the indemnity was an important part of it, to make sure that we could go all over to get this vaccine developed and procured. That's the context here. In relation to Deputy Nocton's point, the government is working on a no-file compensation scheme. The working group, as you know, had been established in relation to that and we're committed to bringing one in. Thank you very much.
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