Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the laws that this House of the Oireachtas creates. Obviously, we are all politicians in this room and I am conscious that the witness is a lawyer, but the laws that we make are very much moulded by policy decisions and the reaction that we have to the event, namely, the pandemic. I have a concern that in our response to this pandemic, we are not taking into account other factors, such as the mental health impact that the restrictions are having on elderly persons, the educational impact this is having upon younger people and children, and the impact it is having on other individuals who are not suffering from Covid-related illnesses. I am conscious that the witness is a lawyer, but he is also a historian. What, does the witness believe, is it about this pandemic that has resulted in such an unprecedented response from governments and parliaments around the world?