Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is certainly worth considering. These are questions this committee asked several times. At the end of the day, when we are stuck with the legal advice we have, it seems difficult. It would be nice to be able to pursue these things in a speculative way to try to get better answers, but of course that is not an option for us at the moment.

I will go back to my other questions. Deputy Daly raised questions about those over 70 years of age. Like other Deputies and other Members of the Oireachtas, I received multiple communications about that, in particular about cocooning for those over 70. It was clear to me from reading the communications that the message was advisory and that it was a request on the basis of the particular public health impact and the particular risk to individuals over 70 or those with long-term illnesses of different kinds. They were being asked to do it for their own good and well-being. It was based on the best science and advice available. Neither were they in any way required to stay at home nor would they be penalised for doing so. That was the subject of all the correspondence that I went back to my constituents with.

I appreciate that at the time it was difficult for everyone to distinguish between the different categories of law, regulations and guidance, as we have talked about today. Moreover, there was and has been so much information of different kinds with different nuances in the period since the initial lockdown that to distinguish what was advice and what were rules was difficult. That was a clear communications challenge. It remains a communications challenge as we change the guidance necessary to try to keep the balance of things open as much as possible and yet try to protect people's health and keep the economy going.

I wish to ask the Law Society of Ireland one question in particular. I thank Mr. Murphy and Ms O'Boyle for coming. The first page of the submission states that while many aspects of the response were successful, there was a need for clearer communication on restrictions. Can the Law Society of Ireland representatives give me some examples of the types of things the society was referring to? We have discussed the examples of the measures relating to those over 70 already, but is there anything else?