Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the people of Ireland and Kerry for all of the great work they have done to try to control this virus and abide by the restrictive rules that have been placed upon us for several months. I call on the Government to give the hospitality sector a chance and trust it in the coming days. Many businesses opened for only a couple of weeks in September.

People all around us have been isolated in rural places. They have not met anybody or been to a local pub for almost six months. That is being reflected in the rate of depression and suicide in my neck of the woods in recent times. I call on the Government to trust publicans, who work in the most regulated sector and have been best placed to sell alcohol over the years. The same amount of alcohol, if not more, has been sold this year compared to any other year. It is unfair for Dr. Holohan to have said a couple of weeks ago that there will be no drinking in pubs this Christmas. He is not the Minister or Tánaiste.

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