Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be as quick as possible. I call for counties in which the coronavirus is being controlled to be allowed to reopen businesses more quickly. The Department's list of confirmed cases of Covid-19 shows just one confirmed case in Kerry in the last 14 days. I call on the Government to use this information when making decisions on any future restrictions. Such measures should be considered on a county-by-county basis in order to allow counties with few or no new cases to open up all of their businesses.

While it would be foolish to think that the real threat of Covid-19 has gone completely, the fact that of 260 cases nationally in the past fortnight, only one of those was in County Kerry, points to solid reasoning for allowing counties to open up at a faster pace than others. Since 15 July, a further 260 cases were confirmed, with Dublin accounting for 154 of them, so 59% of the cases are here in Dublin. Many small businesses were looking for good news in the July stimulus package and while some measures were welcome, there is little in it for many of the small local businesses in Kerry, which either still remain closed or are trying to operate at a fraction of their normal level. The Minister knows the argument I and others have been making about opening up public houses. They are small businesses. I want to see those people being catered for and allowed to open. It is causing real hardship. We are not even being told that they can open on 10 August. The Tánaiste replied to me on the day following the announcement that the only thing he could confirm is that they were not going to open before 10 August. Before the Dáil rises, I ask somebody in government to say for definite when they will be allowed to open.

As we are talking about small businesses in the context of the Bill, I wish to raise flooding, which directly affects businesses. Unfortunately, in County Kerry we had an awful situation last night. I compliment staff and workers from Kerry County Council and the hard-working people in the fire service who had to work during the night throughout the county, in particular the Kenmare engineering staff, who had to go out to places such as Finnehy Court, Railway Crescent, Scarteen Park and the square in Kenmare. It is not too long ago since the then Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin Boxer Moran, came to Kerry, visited places like Glenflesk and gave us money to carry out works. I was very grateful to him for the funding. He also gave us money for flood relief measures in other parts of Kerry, which was very welcome.

What is happening makes no sense to me when it comes to flooding situations such as in Kenmare, where businesses on the square were directly affected overnight and awful damage was done to them. Many of them perhaps do not even have insurance now due to the fact that they were flooded previously. The square in Kenmare is at one level and there is a fall in ground going to Kenmare Bay. There is no reason in the world the water should not carry from A to B. In case the response is that it has something to do with the tide, I can say with absolute authority that the tide went out of Kenmare last night at 1 a.m. and the square was flooded between 2 a.m. and 2.30 a.m. Great people such as Kerry County Council staff, led by Mr. Jackie Horgan and others from Kenmare, did outstanding work throughout the night. I compliment each and every one of the individuals working for the council and those working for the fire service who came out at that hour of the night and worked through the night and early morning. They are still there today. Other staff were working in other parts of Kerry such as Falemore, along the N70 Sneem to Caherdaniel Road, the Inny Bridge, Dromod and Killeenleigh. An awful lot of damage was done last night and that is affecting the public but also the businesses. Simple measures could be taken. I call directly on the new Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, to do as his predecessor did in the past and come to County Kerry, see the problems that we have on the ground, listen to local councillors in the municipal areas, see what is on the priority list drawn up by the excellent people in management in Kerry County Council, who are working in conjunction with the hard-working councillors from all parties and none, and give us the funding to introduce flood relief measures, but, for God's sake, let us stop the flooding occurring in the square in Kenmare because it should not happen. There are engineering solutions to stop it. I urge the Minister of State to take that on board. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute.

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