Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you for that lead-in, a Cheann Comhairle. First, level 5 is difficult and very challenging. It is a lockdown. Everyone says it did not happen in their place. I do not know where the virus starts. If one was to add up the list of all the places where it did not happen, one would be hard pressed to find where the virus begins. The virus spreads from people to people. Public health advice is that the less social contact we have, the better all around, especially now because there is such high community transmission of the virus. The incidence rate is so high that they want to reduce any congregation where they possible can. Unfortunately, that includes marts. That is the position of the public health advice. I accept that the principle of congregation is correct and that the virus spreads most when people gather, meet and engage. We have to reduce people's social contacts. That is the position at the moment. We will keep it under review.

See this speech in context