Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

We wrote to the Business Committee on Tuesday asking for a proper debate on Covid strategy. There has been much discussion and kerfuffle about the spat between the Tánaiste and the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET. Certainly, questions have to be asked and answered about all of that but there is a much more important issue, which is, how are we going to respond to what is an escalating crisis with Covid infections rising? We need a very serious discussion about strategy. We need to hear the options laid out. We need to hear what data are available and how we can make a mature decision where political game-playing is left aside.

We have set out our stall. We believe the public health advice should be followed because the situation is dire. Others disagree, but there has not been a proper debate. To have a debate on the graveyard shift tonight and not have the promised discussion tomorrow is wrong. There simply is not enough time tonight to consider, question and discuss the very serious situation we have facing us and the need for a mature, serious and urgent response that the public can buy into. I have a different view from Deputy Naughten about what we need to do but I absolutely agree we need a serious, rounded, full and extensive debate, and that should include sitting tomorrow.

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