Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned by the leaks from the Cabinet yesterday regarding the extension of the emergency powers for another six months. I honestly believe that the Taoiseach and his Government have become an existential threat to our democracy. That the Government is trying to push this in here to control people, deny them their rights and freedoms and literally destroy their will to live is shocking. It is being done without any debate in this House. The Taoiseach has not met Opposition party leaders or group leaders since November. He is stonewalling everything. Stonewalling is his new mantra. He stonewalls when a question is asked and then he puts it back on the person asking the question or gives them a lecture. He will probably give me a lecture now in a minute. It is outrageous that the Government could contemplate extending the powers for a further six months. We are meant to be coming out of the crisis and we are meant to be opening up but this is what the Government is at. It is all about control. That happened in Germany in 1933 and that is how it started there.

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