Thomas Pringle TD
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Pringle urges Government support of TRIPS waiver, ‘to be on the right side of history’

Pringle urges Government support of TRIPS waiver, ‘to be on the right side of history’

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on the Taoiseach to support the TRIPS waiver to help end global vaccine inequity.

Addressing the Dáil today during Questions on Promised Legislation, Deputy Pringle said: “This issue is to be discussed at the World Trade Organisation TRIPS Council this week. As a nation we have an opportunity to be on the right side of history on this.”

He said: “Today, outside the gates, The People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland held a protest calling on your government to support the TRIPS waiver to help end the global vaccine inequity that is hampering our fight against Covid-19.

“Over 100 nations support this position, yet it is effectively being blocked by the US and EU.

“We know that it was public money that developed these vaccines. For example, less than 2 per cent of the identified funding for AstraZeneca came from private industry. These are our vaccines,” he said.

Deputy Pringle quoted Irish epidemiologist Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation, who said, “We’ve been brought to our knees by a virus. Not because the virus is smart, but because we are stupid. We have not been able to use a groundbreaking tool in the smartest way we could have.”