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

I would like to speak on Deputy Howlin’s amendment. The publicans of Ireland are, after all, tax collectors, revenue collectors and collectors of excise for the State, and have collected serious amounts of money for Governments present and past, and will do so in the future, those of whom will be allowed to stay open or who will be able to stay open after this further draconian legislation is passed.

It is ironic and beyond belief that we are here today figuring out ways of penalising people whose doors are still locked because of rules and regulations that are still in place, while the rest of Europe, including Northern Ireland and England, and other parts of the world see fit to allow their public houses to open their doors and sell alcohol in a responsible and safe way. Our Government is insisting on making them keep their doors closed and in case publicans feel there is a movement within Government to perhaps allow them to open in the coming weeks, it is here making the hammer to hit them with.

I take great exception to what Deputy Bruton said earlier when he tried to mislead us about what I had said very clearly. I was stating on the record of the House that I was supporting An Garda Síochána in the work it is doing because I believe it has much to do as it is in keeping law and order in our State. Here, the legislators who choose to vote for this legislation are putting a further burden on them. What I clearly asked was whether the Government is going to give additional resources to the Garda, or in what way it is hoping to assist the Garda in implementing the legislation it is bringing forward. Instead, Deputy Bruton changed what I said and tried to give the impression that I was saying something against An Garda Síochána, when it was exactly the opposite and I was supporting An Garda Síochána.

Leading people in An Garda Síochána have questioned what the Government is doing. They have questioned this legislation and asked the Government to seriously consider it before it is enacted and passed by this House. Even at this late stage, before any further votes take place, I would plead with the people who are blindly supporting this, many of whom have not actually read it or understood the enormity of what is going on here today. It is ridiculous. If anybody came into this House and asked right now, this minute, what Deputies are actually debating, what they are actually doing and what they are proposing to do to publicans and to other people, they would find it ironic beyond belief that Ministers in government see fit to be doing this at this time. It is crazy; it is beyond belief.

What I would say to the Minister and the Deputies who are supporting it is to look into their hearts and souls. They should think about where they and the people before them were holding their clinics over many years, when they were damn glad to go and meet people in public houses. Publicans facilitated politicians over the years by allowing them to go into a quiet corner or perhaps into a back room to meet with people who had issues, such as local members of the IFA, the ICMSA or the Irish Countrywomen's Association who had a matter they wanted to raise with their local politician. They met in a public house with individuals who had problems or issues, yet this is the gratitude and the thanks we are giving those hard-working publicans and their families. We are turning around today and figuring out ways of hurting them, which is so wrong. That is why I am glad to have another opportunity to have a cut off this nonsense that is going on here today.

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