Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In just over two months, 1,375 people in our country have lost their lives during this pandemic. Our first thoughts must continue to be with their families and loved ones, and indeed with those who are today fighting with the virus. There is no question that our absolute priority must be to continue to limit the spread and fatal impact of Covid-19 and that this work will continue for some time. During this session, there will be many hard questions asked concerning the Government's actions. That is exactly as it should be. Particularly as we join other countries in moving out of the most restrictive phases of the response, there are many issues where there is no simple answer and different approaches are possible.

Last Friday's publication was welcome, but it has raised almost as many questions as it answered. It is a framework for reaching decisions. It does not provide a level of clarity which could have been expected. The five tests by which different elements of the restrictions can be raised are reasonable and they have been on the record for some time. However, we have absolutely no clarity about the specific triggers for lifting, retaining or reimposing restrictions. In the absence of a clear assessment of the current status and future requirements, the tests provide no clarity. For example, the critical issue of increased mortality from non-Covid cases has now been identified as a consideration. What is the current assessment of the extent of these deaths? How will it be monitored? At what level will this factor come into play? It is a very serious issue in terms of the non-Covid stream in our health services, both primary and acute care, the absence of people coming forward and so forth.

In contrast, other countries have been far clearer in saying exactly what they mean when considering pressure on hospital capacity, the replication of the virus in the community, the availability of testing, and other factors. As we have been pointing out for many weeks, in key areas Ireland has taken a quite limited approach to the publication of real-time data and the quantification of problems. Following the publication of the framework last Friday, we need to move on and to take a more open and rapid approach to the publication of all data relevant to the five tests. Different sectors of our society and economy need to be enabled to come forward with specific proposals for how to lift restrictions while respecting public health advice.

Given the amount of time and effort put into preparing for last week's announcement and the fact it was withheld until a wide range of advertising and other publicity activities were ready, it is surprising how many specific issues are not addressed in the document. The failure to consult the Northern Executive is inexplicable. It is to be hoped the Taoiseach will clarify that this was an oversight which will not happen again. This is not an area where high secrecy is required. In fact, the absence of enough consultation is clear in parts of the document.

The position regarding the leaving certificate is unacceptable. Every single government in Europe has been confronted with how to complete school leaving examinations and prepare for a new higher education year. Nowhere has there been such a lack of clarity and confusion. The fact that the reopening document published last week failed to address it is remarkable. We are now beyond the stage where clarity must be provided and the Government must be honest about the ability to complete the leaving certificate in the coming months.

On Easter Monday, our spokesperson sought a briefing on the public health advice in regard to examination classes and sittings. He has never received this, and it is our understanding that the examinations advisory group has also not received such a briefing or such public health advice. How is it then that arbitrary dates can be bandied about without providing information about the public health limitations for what can and cannot be done? Why have members of Government talked about starting dates for examinations without any detail on how that can be accomplished?

There is no way of addressing the concerns and preferences of every student but there are basic principles of equity which must be addressed. In recent days, I have heard from teachers and principals in many parts of the country about how certain students simply are not able to match others in terms of home-based learning. One principal in a DEIS school told me that his best student has nothing more than a small smartphone to rely on. Other students have family members testing positive, with obvious implications for their capacity to study given the need for parents to self-isolate.

Policy cannot be set based on assuming that every student has a laptop, a room where they can learn alone and a school which has the resources to teach online. I am genuinely surprised that nothing has been published so far by the Government assessing what the teaching and learning environment has been for leaving certificate students in the past two months.

Ó thaobh na hardteistiméireachta de, tá brú uafásach ar na mic léinn faoi láthair. Is dochreidte an easpa soiléirithe atá ann faoi láthair freisin. Tá sé riachtanach anois cinneadh a dhéanamh. De réir dealraimh, ní raibh mórán cainteanna nó comhairle ag teacht idir an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna agus an Roinn Sláinte nó ní bhfuair an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna mórán comhairle ó na hoifigigh sláinte phoiblí. Má tá an méid seo fíor. Cén fáth? Nuair a foilsíodh an roadmap ar an Aoine níor luaigh an Rialtas aon rud faoin ardteistiméireacht. Tá cinneadh déanta ag beagnach gach tír eile san Eoraip maidir leis na scrúduithe. Admhaím nach bhfuil sé éasca. Tá sé deacair ach is é an rud is deacra a thuiscint ná conas an ardteistiméireacht a eagrú i gcomhthéacs na comhairle atá ag teacht go ginearálta ó na hoifigigh sláinte phoiblí agus atá léirithe sa roadmap. Measaim go bhfuil sé dodhéanta. Ar aon nós, tá sé in am cinneadh a dhéanamh agus plean dearfach a chur i bhfeidhm.

As well as bringing some finality to what is to be done about completing the leaving certificate, there is a need to urgently give guidance and support to the higher education sector. The financial crisis caused by underfunding in recent years has now been followed by financial meltdown. The broad dimensions of this are getting clearer as overseas enrolments for next year have effectively disappeared. One constructive step which could be taken immediately would be to agree to expand the number of available places in third level for leaving certificate students this autumn. This would help to reduce the impact of the points race and potential disputes involving grades in the event of an alternative emerging. In many cases, it would also ensure we do not see a reduction in places in important faculties, because of the decline in overseas enrolments, where there is already an excess of qualified candidates applying for places, such as in medicine, finance, computing and other areas. The failure to show leadership in regard to what is happening with the leaving certificate and higher education must end. The consultations that were held yesterday need to be maintained on an intensive basis, with hands-on ministerial engagement, with a view to a concrete proposal emerging and being agreed.

On Saturday, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, announced a range of economic measures and repeated the fact that we are facing a series of economic, employment and budgetary shocks which are unprecedented. There are more than 1 million people in the country receiving some form of emergency payment today. This is the highest level of State support ever recorded and anyone who suggests that policy responses should set a new normal is being both misleading and cynical. No one has suggested that we begin a fiscal retrenchment in order to restore access to lending, but to claim that there are no budgetary concerns whatsoever is empty politics.

The critical challenge we face is how to restore as much demand and employment as possible and do so as quickly as possible while respecting public health limits. As I have said during all our recent sessions, the treatment of Debenhams workers is outrageous and unacceptable. I hope we will hear more detail today about what is being done to make sure some companies do not exploit the pandemic to deny workers and creditors their rights. Equally, I hope we will have a greater acknowledgement today of the vast majority of businesses which are desperate to hold on to their staff and get back to work as soon as possible. My party has heard from business owners throughout the country who are doing everything they can to keep their staff and are developing detailed protocols for how to restart and respect health guidelines.

Unfortunately, we have still not received any information about the impact of the pandemic on State companies and local authorities. What is the current scale of the financial hit they have taken and how are they to be protected? Public transport is critical to our society and economy, yet we have heard nothing about how public transports companies are to be helped and what limits they will face before full reopening. The evidence from throughout Europe is that masks are a critical part of a widespread return to using public transport, and this needs to be addressed here. There is more than enough public health evidence regarding the benefit of face coverings and no evidence that the supply of personal protective equipment, PPE, will be undermined by introducing a requirement for face coverings in at least certain public situations. This has been under consideration for long enough. It is time for a decision.

This week we begin to restore important parts of parliamentary accountability and oversight. The national will to fight and overcome the pandemic is as strong as ever. What we need now is greater clarity and openness in deciding on future steps.

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