Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I offer my condolences and those of my constituents to the families of those who have died as a result of Covid-19. As other speakers mentioned, families are also encountering very difficult circumstances as they bury their loved ones during this time. I record my appreciation, thanks and support for healthcare workers, emergency workers, essential workers and indeed the patriots who are the citizens at home today, playing an equally important role. We should also acknowledge and respect the leadership and decision-making of the Government. Its empathy and understanding and the way in which it has delivered its views, thoughts and advices have ensured that those same advices are adhered to. That has resulted in the progress that we have seen to date by virtue of an increase of only 10% to 15% in the number of positive cases, rather than the 30% we had feared some weeks ago.

It is imperative in the eye of this crisis that the Government throws all the necessary resources possible at the public health service and the Departments of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Today's live register is a sobering vista for us, telling us that this crisis far outweighs the impact of the banking crisis. The spend to date of €6.7 billion does not account for all that has been or is in the process of being spent. The Exchequer returns today show revenues are down 20%. These are only early indications of the task that is and will be at hand.

In response to the murmurings of the Minister, Deputy Madigan, I was quite surprised at a Minister serving at the behest of the President's right to appoint a Government, in the absence of the Dáil doing so, suggesting we should somehow be ashamed of our actions today.

Like the other Members present, I am here to represent the interests of those who give us the privilege of representing them. We are here at the bequest of the Business Committee, on which all Members are represented. It has laid out the schedule for the day. The duty of the Minister of State in question, as a representative of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, was to respond to the queries, thoughts and worries of Deputies who are passing on the representations of their constituents. I hope there is no further commentary of that nature in the course of this debate or, indeed, this crisis. This Dáil does not have the level of transparency or accountability that Fianna Fáil would like it to have. As if the debacle of the constitutional crisis created by the Seanad election is not enough, the message relayed today to the Business Committee is a message to those with the capacity to prepare to chart a recovery and ensure continued and effective management of this public health crisis that they must work tooth and nail, utilising whatever communication process they can devise, in order to be in a position to elect a Taoiseach and put in place a stable Government that can make the necessary, right and proper decisions for the people who elected us.

On the fuel allowance, I welcome the fact that the Minister and the Government have acquiesced to many of the recommendations made by Fianna Fáil and others. I have recently received representations from my constituents on the fuel allowance. Many who receive it may not be able to buy briquettes. The new licensing laws associated with the harvesting of peat, initiated as a result of the decision of the High Court last September further to the statutory instruments produced by the Government last January, proved ineffective and it was necessary for the Government to prepare legislation to counteract that. As the Government failed to so do, it was necessary to apply to An Bord Pleanála for a licence for such work. In its wisdom, An Bord Pleanála decided to postpone a decision on that application until May. However, harvesting will be ineffectual at that time. The postponement threatens 800 jobs, which comes on top of the terrible live register figures published today. In addition, it may compromise the security of energy provision in the State at a time of crisis. It has the potential to close the power stations in Shannonbridge, Lanesborough and Edenderry far sooner than the end of the year. Can the emergency powers to which reference was made be used effectively in this situation, given its impact on the security of energy provision in a crisis? Is such power vested in the legislation that was recently passed? If it is not, that is another reason why there must be a functioning Government in place to bring forward legislation to respond to issues such as this which are arising in the course of the crisis. Rather than take a cheap pop at those of us who are here trying to get answers in a time when we do not have the level of transparency or accountability associated with a functioning Dáil, I hope that the Minister who responds on this issue will address this issue. Does the Minister with responsibility for this matter have the power to take action to address it? It was possible to sidestep certain legislation in respect of restaurants and takeaways, either through its being disregarded or the provision of emergency powers. I hope the Minister will respond to my simple question. It is one of many that Fianna Fáil will relay to the Government in writing in the hope that a response will be forthcoming. I hope that, as there is no opportunity for Deputies to table parliamentary questions as would be done in the normal course, the Government will respond to our questions in good faith.

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