Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising that matter. I do not want to say too much about it but I was rather taken aback to see Tyson Fury dropping the name of the person the Deputy mentioned in a video the other day as if he was not a person with quite a chequered history in this State and elsewhere.

While I cannot comment on a particular Garda operation, I can certainly assure the Deputy that there has been contact between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the authorities in the United Arab Emirates about that matter.

On the 2 m and 1 m issue, as I mentioned previously, everybody acknowledges that 2 m is better than 1 m. A distance of 1 m or more gives the person approximately 70% protection and it is closer to 95% at 2 m. We also appreciate that there are certain circumstances where that may not be viable. The virus being so successfully suppressed in our community now allows us to re-examine that, and NPHET is doing some work on that in consultation with us.

Regarding the flu vaccine, the Minister for Health has announced the biggest expansion ever of the flu vaccination programme. Children will get the vaccine this autumn, for example, as will many more vulnerable groups. We will consider the Deputy's proposal of making it universal. I have not seen the merits and demerits of that, but it is something worth considering.

The advice on face masks and face coverings is very simple. It is that one should wear a face mask or face covering when using public transport or when in a crowded indoor place such as a supermarket. People should be aware that it is not a magic shield or an alternative to physical distancing, hand washing or other things, but it can help in terms of additionality. It should be worn properly. People should wash their hands before putting it on, cover their nose and mouth and should not wear it around the neck like a scarf because it is a mask. We will have to launch a new public information campaign to reinforce that. However, there were revised guidelines from the WHO just in the last few days so we want to ensure that we launch a public information campaign that does not change in a week or two when new advice arrives. We want to get it right.

My understanding from the Minister for Health is that screening will resume over the summer, starting with smear taking and cervical screening. It is not yet confirmed, but that is certainly the intention.

As regards the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, that Department was established by my party and the Deputy's party when they formed a Government in 2011. It has been a positive and progressive development, ensuring that the rights of children are now enshrined in the Constitution, mandatory reporting became a reality, Tusla was established and the national childcare scheme was implemented. It is a good thing that we have had a Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Bear in mind, however, that when a new Department is created it comes at a cost. The Department of Defence ceased to be a stand-alone Department as a consequence and the community, rural and Gaeltacht Department disappeared. There were negative consequences of that. Under the Constitution, one of the constraints one works under is that there can be any number of Departments but there can only be 15 senior Ministers. It is pretty meaningless to call for a new Department to be created or for a Department to be retained if one does not say which 15 one wants, because then one is not being entirely honest with people. I always ask anyone calling for a new Department to be established to say which one he or she wishes to be merged or abolished. The same applies the other way around too.

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