Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is appropriate that the last speaker should come from one of the affected counties. Where do we go from here? I am not being funny but I am reminded of the gentleman walking on a lonely country road in a town in the province of Munster who asked for directions to the next nearest town only to be told, "If I were going there, I wouldn't start from here". The problem is that the individualisation of the close-downs in particular counties is not as effective as they could or should be. They generate anger and distrust and identify a blame path. That is what is happening, and it is generating anger.

Anger has never solved a problem. We must consider more carefully the points raised by Professor Heneghan. For instance, he suggested that pubs could be opened. If they cannot comply, so be it, but those that can and are willing to open should be allowed to in opposition to the holding of house parties, an issue that is not controlled and has posed issues previously.

Where do we go from here? Do we continue with hand sanitisation, distancing, masks and all of the other things we are supposed to do or do we intensify those measures? Where would that leave Kildare, Laois and Offaly in two weeks' time, for example? The Chairman knows the extent of the concern and anger among the business community. We recognise the need for business to survive as well as people's health to be maintained. Will the experts give us some indication of where we need to go from this point? Should we intensify our methodology, which has been successful nationally, or should we continue isolating pockets as they arise, which would be against my own advice and would create further dissension and debate of a divisive nature within our society?