Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman, Deputy Farrell, for the latitude he has extended to us and commend Deputy Martin Browne on tabling this question.

The Minister will know my views. The fact that responses to requests for freedom of information are being so heavily redacted sends out all the wrong signals. These are matters that should not embarrass anybody. Certainly, the factories should be eager that these reports are published to give the public the knowledge.

My question follows on from Deputy Browne's. At present, there are some intensive activities taking place, for example, in turkey factories. Turkey factories play an important role in many local economies, including my own, but they also at this time of year incorporate many new staff, many of whom work part-time or in some instances include large numbers of migrant labour.

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Is the Department paying any particular attention to those factories at this time of year? In my view, what happened in the meat plants during the summer played a much larger part than has been attributed to them in bringing about a second wave of infections. We do not want to see a third wave as a result of a lack of scrutiny in this area.

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