Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach will be aware of the expression "a pig in a poke". Farmers and buyers will not buy a pig in a poke, they will want to go and inspect the cattle they are buying. In so doing, there will be more contacts between people than there would be if marts were allowed to continue to operate as they are now under the restrictions. I ask, therefore, that the Taoiseach think about allowing marts to remain open.

On a related matter, this whole move to online is not the panacea it is being presented as. Even clothes shops with an online presence, such as Patrick Bourke Menswear in Ennis, are distraught at what is happening because once people go online it drives business out of the country to Amazon and foreign firms.

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