Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to pass my condolences to the families and friends of those who have sadly passed away as a result of the Covid-19 virus. I can only imagine the hurt and pain people must be going through right now. Many family members and friends in my constituency of Louth have lost loved ones. The hardest thing to cope with is the fact that they cannot have traditional wakes and funerals. I personally know the difficulties those people face because I cannot pass on my condolences to them during this period. Recent newspaper reports have highlighted the spike in cases of Covid-19 in the Border counties, with figures approaching those of the Dublin region. This is causing great concern and fear among those living in Border areas like Dundalk, Carlingford, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal. Many people are suggesting that the cause may be the fact that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are not following the same course of action. In my home town of Dundalk it is quite obvious that the number of Northern Ireland registered cars has been on a par with the number of Southern registered cars in recent weeks. I would like to hear the Minister's views on this matter. Will he indicate whether he has discussed it directly with his Northern counterpart? Moreover, can the current regulations include a restriction on Northern registered vehicles travelling to the South? I wish to make it clear that I am not in favour of closing the Border. Nobody wants that. However, we need to do something to make sure that people on both sides of the Border are following the guidelines in place in both jurisdictions.

6 o’clock

I am sure the Minister is fully aware that we are heading into a bank holiday weekend and that there will be a bank holiday in Northern Ireland the following weekend. The people in the Border area are concerned about what the HSE will do about this.

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