Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing us raise this matter in the Topical Issue debate. The right to worship is an issue of tremendous sensitivity and importance to tens of thousands of people. We have mixed messages coming from the Cabinet. The Garda press office cannot say which or whether. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, informed the House that no priest would be summoned or fined. The opposite has happened. I hope the Government will take a leaf from Scotland's book. This weeks, the Supreme Courts of Scotland stood down a similar measure stating it was a breach of rights under European law. We have always been great Europeans in this country as is our Government. We should observe that decision because if the measure in Scotland breaches the rights of people in Scotland, it also breaches our rights. I appeal to the Cabinet to address this issue, especially for Holy Week and ceremonies. Funerals cannot be restricted to ten people in cases of big families. This limit is causing great difficulties for priests, undertakers and everybody else. This Cabinet will go down in history as the most anti-Christian Cabinet since we got our freedom back, thanks to our gallant leaders in Tipperary and elsewhere who fought for our independence. To think now that people are bring persecuted for going to Mass or attending public worship.

A parish priest contacted me today to say he saw a note on a window indicating that nine people could go into a chipper or takeaway, yet there is nobody inside a church. That is shameful and pitiful. I hope I get a good response.

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