Tensions rising between British government and EU over the bloc's threat to stop vaccine exports

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Article 122 of the EU Treaty may be used - up to and including seizing facilities and suspending patent rights. 

The emergency clause can only be invoked where there's "severe difficulties" in the supply of products. 

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says he expects the EU to allow contracts be honoured. 

But Fine Gael's European Affairs spokesperson Neal Richmond says it's the right call from the Commission: 

"It's just facing clear facts that there's a serious amount of vaccines being produced in the EU and exported. None of the vaccines that are being produced in the UK or the US have been exported back out. And that is certainly a concern of the President of the Commission and indeed all European member states.  AstraZeneca simply has not met the obligations of their contractual responsibilities to all European Union countries including Ireland."