Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Healy. In response to Deputy Cairns's comments on shutting down meet plants, Mr. Carroll asked "is that where we want to be in our economy" and whether we should shut down after "five, six, or seven or so positive cases". I must put it to him that, the day after it was announced that we would not move to phase 4, the acting Chief Medical Officer cited 12 cases of infection in the hospitality sector over the previous week, which were partly used to justify not moving to phase 4 and opening up many rural pubs. The difference strikes me. We have heard about 30 announced inspections and how many meat plants have not even been inspected. There is a major contrast between how the hospitality sector has been treated and how the meat industry has been treated in terms of inspections and the manpower allocated to said inspections.

Can Mr. Carroll tell me what magic touch the meat industry has in Ireland in that it is treated so differently from any other sector? It is treated with kid gloves whereas every other one, in particular, the hospitality sector, is treated with a jackboot by the State.