Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak on this motion on the extension of the sunset clause and enforcement powers. I believe the proposed extension is far too long. It will go for seven months right up to next June. At the very outset we all supported all the emergency powers. The Taoiseach was wrong to suggest that Deputy Michael Healy-Rae did not support any of the measures. Everyone in the House did and we did our best.

There has been no pre-legislative scrutiny at any time. I am aware there was a briefing yesterday but there has been no proper debate or discourse. Earlier Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that we could ask questions on this at the justice committee but we have had no debates or discussions, only emergency powers. I believe that it is disproportionate in the extreme and that most of the restrictions are not logical. They have just been banged together. Fáilte Ireland was supposed to have been blamed for drawing them up, especially the one through which we could be safe from the virus if we had a €9 meal, and crazy situations like that. Publicans and many other businesses such as hairdressers, beauty saloons and small shops all put up the Perspex screens and supplied hand sanitisers. They did everything and after all the expense they went to, they have been closed again. It is so unfair. Now we want to extend these powers for the next seven months, which I will oppose. I will support the Sinn Féin amendment to have the powers reviewed again in February, which they should be.

With regard to public confidence, the Garda cannot govern without the support of the people and, thankfully, they have that. I thank the Garda, especially the gardaí in Tipperary and the community gardaí, including Chief Superintendent Derek Smart, Superintendent Denis Whelan in Cahir, Superintendent William Leahy in Clonmel, the community gardaí in Cahir, Sergeant Ray Moloney, and all their colleagues. The community gardaí visit the elderly and It is wonderful that the gardaí do this.

The elderly are locked away and cocooned and it is totally unfair. It beats Banagher altogether that they cannot worship in a church. A wedding can take place with 25 people or a funeral with 25 people, which is so sad, and yet the church cannot open for mass. If a pastor, a priest or a minister of any religion says a public mass, he can be fined €2,500 or even face jail. This is shocking. I believe it was 1826 when those Acts were repealed for the Penal Laws. Now we have them back again. Are we trying to frighten the people?

The Minister has been asked about the marts and perhaps she will answer a question on that. It is a very important time for farmers and she has been pleaded with to allow the marts to go ahead. They are normally big, airy places and they too have made huge strides with protections. They simply cannot do their business online. The Minister has been asked about gyms as well. I have had hoteliers on to me. I have had people crying that they cannot go to the gym at this time of year. Coursing has also been stopped. We had clarity today from the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, about game shooting being stopped, which was announced suddenly last Thursday evening. The Minister of State informed us today at a committee meeting that it was not through any ministerial order or any order for that matter, and that An Garda Síochána had brought in this law last Thursday whereby people should not go out with their dog and their gun. What is the Minister trying to do to people? People want to support her but she is not supporting them and she is not allowing them even a modicum of solace whereby they can go out with the dog and the gun, yet they can go for a walk with the dog for 5 km. Thankfully, they are not going to shoot anybody and they are good respectful people in good game clubs that have preserves. I salute my own game club, the Ardfinnan-Ballybacon-Grange and Newcastle Gun Club, which does huge work on preservation. The members raise their pheasants and look after them well through restocking and so on. This is their only recreation and it is the only season open. There are many areas like this.

There are so many anomalies, discrepancies and inconsistencies in the rules and people are confused. These are draconian powers by any manner. The Minister is losing the people, if they are not lost already. Today I became aware of a situation where a gentleman who is living here had to go to a parent's funeral abroad. The aeroplane was full of Irish tourists going to Turkey. The Government has never addressed the airports and has refused to look at the people coming and going through them. It is unbelievable that this is happening when other people cannot go for a walk or to mass or any church service and cannot go to a funeral. People cannot even get their hair or nails done. Barbers, shopkeepers and clothes shops went to huge expense to get their premises open. I spoke to a wonderful draper recently, Mr. Val O'Gorman, who has three Mr. Mister men's clothes shops that give great employment. He cannot even sell his summer stock. What are they supposed to do? The Government has ruled many business people out from receiving a payment if they are not rate payers. Everyone over the age of 66 is also ruled out from any type of a payment. There are inherent inconsistencies and unfairness with this. The Rural Independent Group and I will oppose it totally.

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