Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak. Covid continues to dominate the daily lives of everyone, not only here in Ireland but worldwide. I welcome the fact there are positive signs that a successful vaccine is not too far away. Everyone’s life has been affected and put on hold during the pandemic. Many people have paid the ultimate price.

We must learn from this pandemic. We must prepare ourselves for the future pandemic because there is no doubt we will be faced with this at some stage in the future. I suspect that life will not go back to normal as it was before. Rather, we will have to deal with a new normal. It is for this reason that we must plan now. The people cannot face another serious lockdown and the hardship to which it gives rise. We must make our public buildings, schools, hospitals, libraries, care homes and all other places where people can meet and congregate as safe as possible from viruses like Covid. How do we do this? We must examine that matter now and proposals must be put forward.

As I have stated on previous occasions, I support the efforts of this Government and the way it has handled the pandemic. It is not a time for playing petty political games like those have seen in other jurisdictions, nor is it a time for scaremongering. When we compare the numbers of deaths and hospitalisations now with those in the first wave, what is encouraging is that it is clear progress has been made in the treatment of Covid.

The next challenge we face is the roll-out of a vaccine. I am pleased that the Government has appointed Dundalk man Professor Brian MacCraith to chair the vaccine task force, which will be vital in the context of getting the country back up and running. It is important that the public is made aware of all aspects of the roll-out of the vaccine. In order for this to be successful, we need the public to buy into it. I have full confidence in Professor MacCraith and his team to deliver. I agree with Professor MacCraith that urgency and certainty are the keys to a successful roll-out. We need the roll-out to happen quickly, with the most vulnerable and the front-line workers to be first in line.

I welcome the fact that a vaccine is now imminent, that hospital numbers and deaths have not reached the levels seen during the first wave and that we have a task force in place to develop a roll-out strategy. Society in general has made huge sacrifices during this past seven months and we must now do everything in our power to ensure that we, as elected representatives, make the right choices moving forward so that the lives of the people are brought back to normal.

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