Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also question the zero Covid-19 strategy by the Labour Party. It will kill the entire domestic economy. In Ireland, SMEs account for 45% of GDP and they employ 70% of the Irish workforce.

If we are looking at strategies today, what we should be looking at is the roll-out of the vaccine. If we are to vaccinate the people who are over 70, that means from now until the end of April, when the Minister stated it will be done, 62,500 people over 70 will have to be vaccinated each week to reach that target. The United Kingdom has 12.81 million people vaccinated; Germany, 3.61 million; Turkey, 3.28 million; Italy, 2.66 million; France, 2.63 million; Spain, 2.12 million; and Poland, 2.11 million. Let us have a big hurray for Ireland. Up to 5 February, we had 230,766 people vaccinated. Europe and our Government have let us down in getting the vaccine. That is our strategy.

Listen to the Labour Party today. Its members know nothing about the workforce. They know nothing about the SMEs. That is why the party has become as small as it has. They know nothing. They have not been on the ground with the small business people. That is what we need to stand up for.

That is our strategy. Get in the vaccines and get people vaccinated, as all the other countries have done. The Government should stand up to Europe and ask where is our fair share. That is what we need to do; stand up for Ireland and shout and roar. Who shouts the loudest gets the results. Start shouting.

See this speech in context