Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Carrigy and all of my colleagues. I will give Mr. Treyvaud the final word on this. Yesterday in the Dáil I made the point that I feel strongly about this. We are talking against ourselves given yesterday’s restrictions. I live in a Border county but I have been to Killarney. When I went last summer, Mr. Treyvaud’s restaurant was fully booked up, which is a big accolade, and I could not get in. However, we are talking against ourselves and are creating a mass exodus of people who are going a couple of miles up the road to Belfast. It is wonderful that we can travel so freely across the State. However, when there are different rules in different parts of the island, we are talking against this idea of a staycation. Of course, 19 July is coming towards us. There will be airplanes full of people flying aboard for the simple reason that they can try the cuisine in various places right across Europe. It is really sad to see us on a different step from everywhere else in Europe. I agree with my colleagues that the figures do not stack up. I will give Mr. Treyvaud the final word.