Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Are we conducting random testing at our airports and are we considering random testing in schools?

This is very important now with all our schools going back in the next few weeks. It is welcome that the Dáil is sitting next week but I am asking the Minister about legislation. Over the past few months, we have seen that the Garda did not have any legislation to enforce the restrictions that needed to be imposed. Is it a priority of the Minister's that we get this legislation through next week so that the Garda has the power? I think they are called primary laws. We need them. We need to make sure that we have someone who can actually go out if there is a house party or people overcrowding. We need to give the Garda the laws allowing them to do this. It does not have the power at the moment. A garda told me recently that gardaí do not know where they stand at the moment. It is not their fault. Like the Minister and his officials, they are doing a great job.

The Minister spoke about care homes and nursing homes. He and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, launched the policies and plan going forward on nursing homes. I am dealing with care homes that are section 39 organisations. There are serious issues with them in terms of funding. On the bigger scale, regarding the community employment schemes, they are finding it hard to get workers. If we do not get funding for the section 39 organisations I fear some of them will have to close.

What is our roadmap for the GAA sports clubs, our wet pubs which have not yet opened, and our dance studios that have contacted us all? They normally had 50 indoors, then 15 and six. If we can deliver on legislation, information and testing, we could give people back the confidence they need. We are doing well but we need to do a lot more. We could make sure people know this is our message. We are going to get over this and we will do that.