Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2021
57. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contribution Ireland has made to the international community in terms of sending Covid-19 vaccinations to countries in need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47061/21]
View answerSince the beginning of the pandemic over €200 million in Irish Aid funding has been invested improving in global public health, including the response to COVID-19. This has helped multilateral partners such as the COVAX Facility and WHO to accelerate the equitable distribution of vaccines to Low and Middle Income Countries, as well as strengthening the health systems of partner countries so that they can mount effective vaccine campaigns.
Ireland has also supplemented financial support to COVID-19 response with in-kind support, including an initiative I spearheaded between Irish Aid, the HSE and partner countries to assist the mental wellbeing of health practitioners during this time of strain. This initiative sees the sharing of Irish best practice with partners.
With the maturing of the vaccination programme here in Ireland, earlier this month the Government committed to donating 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to the COVAX Facility by the end of 2021. A further substantial donation will follow next year. The Irish Aid programme is complementing the donation of vaccines with a €7 million contribution to the COVAX facility this year, to ensure that in kind donations can be used effectively and to facilitate vaccine purchase by COVAX also. A further 335,500 Astra Zeneca vaccine doses have been donated bilaterally to Uganda, supplemented by an in-kind donation of necessary equipment from the HSE. This shipment will arrive in Kampala this week. These doses will provide a much-needed boost to the vaccine programme there, and help get basic services such as health and education back on track.
