Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad we are on track to exit level 5 next week and that we are preparing to reopen gyms. I ask the Minister to allow dance classes with social distancing during level 3 to boost physical and mental health.

If one lives on a county border, the opening up of one's county may not offer much hope of seeing one's family. It one lives in Lucan, one is more likely to have family in Leixlip than Lusk. If one lives in Rathcoole, one is more likely to have family in Kill than Killiney, but under county-wide restrictions, even though one may be less than 15 km from one's family, one will not get to see them under level 3. Level 3 is meant to be less restrictive than level 5; that is the point of the graduated levels system, but if one lives on the border of a county, it can end up being more restrictive. If, like me, one lives in Lucan, one can under level 3 travel 40 km north to Skerries and 40 km south to Dalkey but one may not travel 5 km to Leixlip. The Minister should extend the travel radius to allow for travel within 20 km of one's home because that is how to make level 3 the reward it should be for all the families who live close together but who have been separated since September.

Families separated by more than 20 km need to know they will be able to spend Christmas together, pull Christmas crackers and tell bad jokes, as they normally do, see their grandchildren, nieces or nephews open their gifts, and uphold just some of their family Christmas traditions. We realise it will not be a traditional Christmas for Ireland but it will be a Christmas that our country has never needed more - a time to come together and value the things that matter to us most as people, as sons and daughters and as parents and grandparents. If ever there were a Christmas that families needed to spend together, this Christmas would be it. Can the Minister tell people living in places such as Lucan and Clondalkin and who want to travel home to spend Christmas with their loved ones that they can plan to do so? This year, more than ever, we all need a little something to look forward to.

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