Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I begin by extending my condolences to the families of the people who have passed away from the coronavirus over the last while. It is important that we should extend our sympathy to them. We should not forget those who have passed away under normal circumstances because it is not normal for their families to have to make funeral arrangements like those we have seen in recent weeks. It is difficult for families as they begin the grieving process. We should extend our sympathies to them as well.

It is vitally important that we are meeting here in the Dáil. I think we should continue to meet here. I believe we are critical workers. We have a duty to be here, to bring the concerns of our constituents to the notice of the Minister and the Government and to bring messages back to our constituents. The vital importance of this sitting was really brought home to me when I was leaving the house at 6.30 this morning and I met a delivery man who asked me for directions to a house.

Are we saying that we are more important than a delivery person, such that we can stay at home and look after ourselves but they cannot do so? Should we expect them to go out and put themselves at risk? There is no doubt that there is a potential risk involved in us being here. That is what we are here for. It is vitally important that we are here to convey our message and have our say. That role should not be underestimated and should not decrease through this crisis. It should be increased and enhanced because we have an important message to deliver.

The Minister said there were numerous ways to pass on messages and information. We have Skype messages, WhatsApp and so on. I cannot remember the names of them all but I have used a few of them. They are useful and important and one gets information from them. However, information does not come back. It is like talking into a vacuum. We had a meeting last Wednesday. We got feedback about issues that we raised the following Tuesday afternoon. That does not make sense. I accept that people are under pressure. There is no doubt about that. These are exceptional circumstances. However, we are working under pressure too and trying to keep people up to date on what is happening, but we cannot get the necessary information. That makes it even more important for us to be here and the process to continue.

Maybe the Minister and the Government will give proper information. I am sorry that the Minister has left the Chamber. The information he gave in his speech is different from what we got in a briefing on Skype yesterday. What is the story? The Government seems to be intent on conveying a good message all the time. Irish people are mature enough to deal with messages they need to deal with and to hear how things actually are, rather than how we would like them to be. It is important for people to have the full message and the right story.

Mental health services in Donegal are being put on the back burner according to members of staff to whom I have spoken. I raised this issue with the health team. Mental health is critical, now more than ever. It should be maintained and staff should be working harder to maintain mental health because that will be important throughout this period of isolation. I call on the Minister to make sure that the HSE in the north west maintains that service.

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