John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise this issue because what Dr. Lynch indicated in his opening statement almost contradicts the statements given to the committee earlier this afternoon by the representative organisations in the context of the co-operation between the groups and the Department. For example, the Crann survey states that 98% of respondents indicated they will have some level of financial difficulty in reopening. Seas Suas criticised and found fault with the amount of money that has been allocated and stated that €130 million will be required for the six months to the end of the year.

Another issue that came up with regard to consultation was the notion of pods. The sector indicated that the first it heard of pods was when it was mentioned in the Dáil and that there was no consultation on the issue. It has serious reservations about the cost of reopening and the staffing issues that will arise in meeting the required regulations. The representative organisations addressed the committee on access to Covid-19 testing, cross-contamination and the implications of operating on reduced ratios. It seems that they have one view, which will require significant funding now to address, while the Department has another view, but we are talking about the same sector.