Wednesday, 12 Oct 2022

Written Answers Nos. 1-5

Trade Agreements

Ceisteanna (1)

Neasa Hourigan

Ceist:

1. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on extending the World Trade Organisation decision on the TRIPS agreement to therapeutics and diagnostic tests which would enable low and middle-income countries to source additional therapeutics and diagnostic supplies from authorised generic manufacturers and could help improve global surveillance efforts and prevent disease progression; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50418/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Responding to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministers at the WTO Ministerial Conference in June 2022 agreed an outcome in relation to the production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines. The ‘Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement’ provides for a waiver of certain obligations of the TRIPS Agreement and includes clarifications that will allow eligible WTO Members to authorise a company to manufacture and export COVID-19 vaccines in a fast and simplified manner and without the consent of the patent owner.

Developing countries will be able to use this solution to authorise the manufacture, import or export of COVID-19 vaccines without prior negotiation with the patent owner and without any notification requirements that would delay the start of the manufacture or export.

Equally important is the clarification that the remuneration for patent owners may take account of humanitarian or not-for-profit purpose of production and hence support the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines at affordable prices for those in need.

The Ministerial Decision covers COVID-19 vaccines as well as the ingredients and processes necessary for their manufacture. At the time of the adoption of the Decision, there was no consensus among the Members to cover also COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

As a compromise, paragraph 8 of the Decision stipulates that no later than six months from the date of that Decision (17 December 2022), Members will be expected to decide on whether to extend the Decision to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

Trade is an exclusive competence of the EU, and accordingly the negotiations on TRIPS, as a trade matter, are led by the EU. The EU is in the process of conducting internal consultations and analysis on the extension, taking into consideration that the case for COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics is more complex than the one pertaining to vaccines.

Discussions on the extension of the mechanism to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics are ongoing in the WTO and the EU is engaging constructively in these discussions.

Ireland will continue to engage with the European Commission and other Member States on the EU position. A decision to extend the earlier Ministerial Decision from June 2022 will require the agreement of all WTO Members.

Trade Agreements

Ceisteanna (2)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

2. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a letter (details supplied) from 18 NGOs calling for Ireland to support an extension of the 17 June 2022 decision of the World Trade Organisation on the TRIPS Agreement to cover Covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests with no further conditions or changes to the text; his plans to support the proposed extension for the full five-year period from the point of extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50420/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Responding to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministers at the WTO Ministerial Conference in June 2022 agreed an outcome in relation to the production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines.

The ‘Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement’ provides for a waiver of certain obligations of the TRIPS Agreement and includes clarifications that will allow eligible WTO Members to authorise a company to manufacture and export COVID-19 vaccines in a fast and simplified manner and without the consent of the patent owner.

Developing countries will be able to use this solution to authorise the manufacture, import or export of COVID-19 vaccines without prior negotiation with the patent owner and without any notification requirements that would delay the start of the manufacture or export.

Equally important is the clarification that the remuneration for patent owners may take account of humanitarian or not-for-profit purpose of production and hence support the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines at affordable prices for those in need.

The Ministerial Decision covers COVID-19 vaccines as well as the ingredients and processes necessary for their manufacture. At the time of the adoption of the Decision, there was no consensus among the Members to cover also COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

As a compromise, paragraph 8 of the Decision stipulates that no later than six months from the date of that Decision (17 December 2022), Members will be expected to decide on whether to extend the Decision to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

Trade is an exclusive competence of the EU, and accordingly the negotiations on TRIPS, as a trade matter, are led by the EU. The EU is in the process of conducting internal consultations and analysis on the extension, taking into consideration that the case for COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics is more complex than the one pertaining to vaccines.

Discussions on the extension of the mechanism to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics are ongoing in the WTO and the EU is engaging constructively in these discussions.

Ireland will continue to engage with the European Commission and other Member States on the EU position. A decision to extend the earlier Ministerial Decision from June 2022 will require the agreement of all WTO Members.

Departmental Staff

Ceisteanna (3)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

3. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a schedule of the number of staff by grade who are assigned on a full-time basis to liaise and provide support to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in order for that Department to fulfil its areas of responsibility in respect of providing for the needs of those seeking international protection and persons categorised by virtue of the temporary protection directive by the European Union; and if he will provide a schedule of the services that his Department provides to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in that regard. [50447/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The table below sets out the details of staff of my Department, by grade, who are assigned on a full-time basis to provide support to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in order for that Department to fulfil its areas of responsibility in respect of providing for the need of those seeking international protection and persons categorised by the virtue of the temporary protection directive by the European Union.

Grade	Number	Secondment start date
Clerical Officer	3	16 May 2022
HEO	1	16 May 2022

In addition to the staff listed above, one Clerical Officer, seconded to Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on 16 May 2022, returned from secondment on 16 September, 2022.

In respect of the schedule of services that my Department provides to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the secondment of the above staff, whose salaries are paid for by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for the duration of their secondment, is the service provided by my Department in this regard.

Employment Rights

Ceisteanna (4)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

4. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Sick Leave Act 2022 will be implemented; when statutory sick leave days will be made available to employees; the number of annual sick leave days that employees will be entitled to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50570/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Following detailed consideration of the issues surrounding the implementation of the statutory sick leave scheme, the Sick Leave Act will commence on 1st January 2023.

The Act is intended to provide a level of protection to employees who do not currently have employer-paid sick pay schemes, many of whom are low-paid and cannot afford to miss work. As a starting point, this scheme will cover the three waiting days before eligibility for Illness Benefit from the State. This is a progressive Act and will ensure, once commenced, that all employees are better off and will have financial protection from day one of a medically certified absence.

Departmental Staff

Ceisteanna (5)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

5. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a schedule of the number of staff by grade who are assigned on a full-time basis to liaise and provide support to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in order for that Department to fulfil its areas of responsibility in respect of providing for the needs of those seeking international protection and persons categorised by virtue of the temporary protection directive by the European Union; and if he will provide a schedule of the services that his Department provides to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in that regard. [50448/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

My Department is working across Government and with stakeholders to support, in particular, the community response to people arriving from Ukraine. 

As regards the provision of specific staff, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has 1 staff member, at HEO grade, who is seconded on a full-time, temporary basis to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to support it in fulfilling its responsibilities in respect of providing for the needs of those seeking international protection and those persons categorised by virtue of the temporary protection directive by the European Union.