Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Táim ag roinnt mo chuid ama le Deputy McNamara. I thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling this motion. I am conscious that I am making my contribution in the context of 2,134 deaths, 77,000 confirmed cases and we are still in the pandemic. I pay tribute to the people of Ireland who have led us, as they usually do and politicians follow. I hope that we have learned to take transformative action from Covid, although I have no belief that we have because I think we are heading back to where we were.

I am not sure of the venom expressed by the Labour Party, in particular some of the comments of Deputy Shortall, in regard to this motion. I think the motion draws our attention to many things that we need to talk about. We should have had this debate for an extended period of time. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will know, Covid has affected many segments of society in a most uneven and unequal way.

I refer again to respite services, which have not been resumed, as one example which has not been mentioned at any higher level. Surely, at this stage in the 21st century, given that the Minister is taking pride in the reduced figures over the 14 and 17-day period, and rightly so, we should be able to take steps that will give respite, and for carers equally and so on. My time is limited and I intend to stick to it.

I am taken by surprise at some of the comments on the motion. I welcome that it seeks a full debate on the implementation of the regional and rural development plan, which is underpinned in Project Ireland 2040. I have the privilege of representing Galway West, which includes a very big rural area as well as a city, and I see the divide. I say that not to intensify the division but to highlight it so that we can work together. We cannot continue to build cities out of all proportion in an unsustainable manner and not look at what is happening in the rural areas. I fully support that.

Covid put a spotlight on our health service. Decisions were taken that had to be taken, but they were based not on what was in the best interest but on the fact that our health service was so bad. We failed to prioritise nursing homes and many other vulnerable segments. Unfortunately, we are still doing that.

Many things are said in the motion but I do not propose to go into them. In the one minute I have remaining, I want to focus on mental health. It is clear that it has never been given the status it deserves. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will make a difference in that regard. Last week or earlier this week, I quoted figures from the Mental Health Commission and from the inspector, who apparently did a themed report on this some time ago and referred to it again. Life expectancy is reduced by 15 to 20 years because of the medication being taken. That is just one aspect where the physical health is completely ignored.

I want to finish on the vaccines because comments have been made here about them. This motion calls for an exit strategy and a comprehensive plan. Clearly, that includes vaccines. To ensure there is maximum uptake of the vaccines, we need maximum transparency and accountability. Unfortunately, that is completely lacking in relation to the vaccine strategy we have signed up to with the companies and so on. If the Minister of State has any influence, I ask her to please ensure we are given full and factual information and, more important, to assure us that the regulatory authority on whom we will be dependent is fully resourced.

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