Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The social distancing occurs naturally. There is a total disconnect with rural Ireland and what is happening there. This will cause more division because people have gone out of their way. There is a very small element in big cities where there were breaches and which needs to be monitored. I absolutely agree that they should be monitored, but rural businesses should not be punished. They have already been punished severely.

The lack of collaboration and consultation has been shameful. Why was the road map for reopening pubs not produced at the same time as this legislation? It is all one-way traffic. It is a very heavy-handed and unfair approach. I urge the Government to think carefully about doing this. The Bill is going to create problems and issues will arise from it. The Garda has more to do than to check all the pubs. There has been a shortage of gardaí in my constituency of Laois-Offaly for many years. I do not know how the gardaí there will be able to get to grips with rural crime and anti-social behaviour as well as having to monitor pubs. There is no need for them to do so because the vast majority of publicans are very responsible people. It is totally unnecessary.

This Government being so out of touch with rural Ireland, I suggest they take a staycation in rural counties. If they take that staycation, maybe they will see the reality: how we operate, how we survive against the odds in rural Ireland and how many of our businesses have been unfairly decimated because of ill-thought-out legislation and the lack of adequate supports.

I believe this is a grave mistake. I hope that supports will be given to the publicans and that the trust that is broken and the relationships that have been broken down as a result of this will be rebuilt constructively in some shape or form because we all need to work together on this issue. Pubs and restaurants have been treated shamefully.

In my constituency of Laois-Offaly, we were already stigmatised with an unnecessary lockdown because a localised lockdown was not implemented and, instead, three counties were entirely closed down. In the case of Laois-Offaly, it was completely wrong. That already has caused problems and, indeed, has created a stigma. We will have a worse situation now with these draconian measures being brought in and with there being a breakdown now in collaboration. There was never proper collaboration in the first place because representatives from those businesses and the vintners' association should have been included. The hospitality sector was completely shut out all along with the different measures that have been brought in. There was no consultation and no collaboration. There was one-way traffic and a heavy-handed approach. I absolutely oppose it in every shape and form.

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