Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time. We know we will have to live with Covid-19 but we cannot live with lockdowns, which threaten our economy. We have to consider opening the country and deal with testing, tracing and outbreak management. We cannot afford another lockdown. I refer in particular to the move from level 5 to level 3. This would still mean that hotels could not accept visitors from outside their county, restaurants could serve only at a limited capacity and wet pubs could not open. We need to find a way of easing county travel restrictions and allowing indoor dining in the very safe environments of hotels and restaurants. These establishments have done all they can to protect their customers. Most especially in these vital weeks in the lead-up to Christmas, we must ensure we do all we can to protect lives and also to provide information for businesses, people working in the arts, gyms, sports clubs, hairdressers and barbers. Christmas will be four weeks away on Friday and everyone is wondering what will happen. I accept we are taking things day by day, but if we could get more information, it would be so important.

The lockdown has taken its toll in many ways, in particular on mental health and people who are waiting for hospital appointments. I have contacted the Minister of State about disability and respite services. She has given me her full support and I thank her for that. The imminent arrival of an effective, low-cost vaccine could be a game changer and we should ensure we have all we need to enable the most vulnerable people to get the vaccine. That is the number one issue. Everyone who wants the vaccine should be able to access it.

Another issue we need to discuss is the driver licence test backlog, which affects so many. This is not just a road safety issue but also a financial one.

Drivers who do not have their driving tests in hand due to delays may face up to €600 extra in insurance costs. I was contacted this week by a constituent who was due to sit his theory test last Friday. It was cancelled and rescheduled for some time in February, four months from now. He lives in a rural part of County Carlow without public transport. His situation is not unique. I am told that some 30,000 drivers could be impacted by the delays, as I am sure the Minister for Transport is aware. It is an issue that must be addressed. Each week, Deputies rise in the Chamber to point to cases where this is impacting people. Being certified is important for drivers not only because it saves them money but also because driving may be their means of accessing work. People who do not have a licence and do not have access to public transport cannot get to work. I have spoken to the Minister about this issue before. We need to find a solution for the people in that situation.

I want to raise the issue of home visits. With Christmas around the corner, people are asking me what will happen in this regard. There are vulnerable people who need to know that someone can come to see them, whether on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or shortly thereafter. They do not want to be left alone at Christmas, which has always been associated with visitors and family time. I accept that we must be careful about visitor numbers and I am sure there will be restrictions in that regard. However, it is important that people are allowed to visit family members and also neighbours and friends, including older people, to ensure they do not feel alone. Christmas is a very special time for the people of Ireland. We love Christmas, it is part of our heritage and we enjoy celebrating it with family. This year, Christmas is more special than it ever was before. All of us in this House have a responsibility for our own actions and a duty of care to follow the guidelines, give people as much information as possible and help as many people as we can.

It is important to state that the people have been excellent throughout this time. As I have said before, this has been a really hard year and one we will never forget. Front-line workers and workers in all sectors have been very good. It is important that we make this Christmas special and see what we can do be a bit more lenient and allow people to do a little extra. I acknowledge the importance of keeping people safe and working within the NPHET guidelines. We do not want to go into another lockdown after Christmas. However, it is also important that we do what we can for people at Christmas.

I thank the Minister of State for listening to the points we have raised. Covid has changed all our lives. I was speaking to a friend recently who has a family member who contracted the virus. Life is precious and we have to make the best of it and make sure we do the best we can for everyone.

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