Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I am not suggesting there should be a delay in opening hotels and I am aware they have been open throughout the pandemic, providing food and essential provisions for essential workers. Would it be possible to carry out ventilation tests, as was done with classrooms such that classrooms were not all deemed either okay or not okay? Could tests be provided on the extent to which restaurants might be able to accommodate people? Could the Government examine that? About 80% of restaurants cannot provide outdoor dining, so they are very anxious, as the Tánaiste will know. For those restaurants that might have the facilities, with high ceilings, ventilation and so on, could consideration be given to allowing them to reopen at the same time? I fully appreciate that hotels have been open throughout and do not suggest they should be closed as some kind of catch-up exercise. In the case of restaurants that have the facilities, would it be possible to give consideration to what I outlined?