Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to contribute to this debate. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary effort and role played by Irish people over the past seven months, including front-line staff in our hospitals, retail workers and principals and teachers in our schools who have done and continue to do a fantastic job every day.

The restrictions and lockdowns have had serious implications in terms of people's health. Cancer screening and treatment has been almost non-existent. I have had first-hand experience of trying to fight for people who have cancer to get them transferred to hospital for timely treatment. As I have said all along, I sincerely hope that the cure does not become worse than the disease. We need to be very careful about that because lives are being lost. We will, unfortunately, see the effects of this over the next number of months.

Businesses in my constituency of Laois and Offaly have also had to endure a severe and unwarranted series of extra lockdown measures that have cost the local economy dearly. Unfortunately, we have also seen the re-emergence of the cutthroat practices associated with vulture funds which are now running riot. I highlighted this issue last week when I noted that vulture funds are engaging in the forced sale of a significant number of farms. The picture that is emerging from around the country is horrendous. It is of deep concern to many farmers who are trying their level best to engage with lenders around debt management and repayment arrangements. As I understand it, personal insolvency practitioners have attempted to sound the alarm about the vicious and unsympathetic approach that is being adopted by various vulture funds. These vulture funds have to be reined in. There are also credible reports that the sale of some farms is being forced through without any prior notice being given. All of this demonstrates that while most people are trying to live with Covid, some organisations seek to thrive from the misery it has created.

I also want to point out that the denial of physical access to mass and religious services has been very upsetting. The treatment of Fr. Hughes, who was threatened with prosecution, was nothing short of scandalous and reminiscent of penal times.

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