Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I know the Labour Party thought long and hard about tabling this motion. There is almost a weariness in this House, as there is across the nation, about this terrible disease that has taken such a terrible toll on all of us. We have had a shockingly dreadful January, particularly for those who have lost loved ones. There has been a terrible rate of infection and death. We must ask questions and provide some answers as to why, after ten months of the pandemic, we arrived at our lowest and most devastating point.

In my judgment and that of the Labour Party we need a new approach and very clear signalling and messaging, as my colleague, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, has said. The mixed messaging is driving people bonkers when we need to be very clear. We want to work in concert with the Government and have a clarity of focus, strategy and messaging.

I will deal with two points in the few minutes I have. This pandemic has affected every man, woman and child in our nation. We will not truly know the full extent of the impact until well after this pandemic ends, including the degree of harm and things not done, such as screenings or identification of other health matters. They will come upon us and we must prepare for them now. For the very young we must think of the psychological impact and loss of education, and that may never be overcome. For older people, there is the sheer anxiety of fear of death and contact with loved ones as a vector for death. We have never lived with that before and we must prepare ourselves in a psychological way for it.

I will deal specifically with the issues faced by women. As international studies, the World Health Organization and women's organisations have recognised, women are uniquely affected and in a greater way by this pandemic than any other cohort. For example, there is the case of domestic violence.

I commend An Garda Síochána on its efforts. It has gone well beyond what anybody could have asked for in respect of its efforts to address the issue. Gardaí have been visible and proactive.

I thank the NGOs in the women's sector, including the domestic violence NGOs, the rape crisis centres and the women's refuges. They have stepped up to the plate. However, despite their best and heroic efforts, there is, unfortunately, a sea of hidden abuse that we will see after this pandemic ends. As we know, women in the workforce constitute the majority of front-line healthcare workers. They are nurses in our hospitals, carers and home carers. They have been carrying an extraordinary burden. They are now at the end of their tether. They are at their wits' end. They need recognition, and more than that, they need resources and help. We need to target those and set out exactly what we are going to do for them.

The next category of the workforce that we are going to ask step back is teachers. Again, this is a predominantly female profession. I refer to issues such as childcare provision. Why can we not address these issues as other countries have done? We have not done that well. We must also prepare for the aftermath of the pandemic, for example, the lack of screening.

My final point concerns international solidarity. We must recognise that until all our people are vaccinated - and by that, I mean all the people on this planet - none of us will be immune, safe or invulnerable. We are vulnerable to mutations of this awful virus as long as vaccination is not universal. We must ensure that we subscribe and advocate, not only providing funding but also the capacity to provide the vaccines to the scores of Third World countries which have not even started a vaccination programme yet. Their front-line workers are expected to walk into danger without that. We have much to do. We have set out an agenda. I hope that today is the start of a new approach of clarity, vision and united determination to defeat this virus finally, and to prepare for its aftermath.

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