Dáil debates

Thursday, 14 May 2020

Covid-19 (Health) - Statements

 

4:25 pm

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who, unfortunately, have passed during this crisis. I hope that we can all work together to mitigate the issues around this crisis.

Last week I raised with the Minister personally the challenges faced during this crisis by members of the Irish Dental Association. One of the many challenges concerns the availability and affordability of personal protective equipment. Dentists are competing with so many different groups and are finding it very difficult. The Minister said he would meet with the organisation. How did that meeting go? Can he share the outcome with us? Was it successful?

Second, businesses such as hairdressers, hotels, pubs and restaurants will have to make a lot of decisions to comply with the public health regulations. This will require advance planning and these industries will need much clearer information than what is set out in the road map. I understand that it will be very difficult to give clear information, but I noticed something today when I was in a service station to get a coffee on the way to Dublin from the north west. No matter what I did, I found it very difficult to maintain a 2 m distance from other people. Seemingly, only 1.5 m is required in Germany. Perhaps we can reduce that distance a little bit. That is up to the experts, not me, but if the requirement in Germany is 1.5 m perhaps it is time to look at that. It is going to be very difficult to bring some of the businesses back together. Perhaps 1.5 m is not enough either or perhaps it is time to reduce that 2 m. Again, that is up to the experts.

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