Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Okay. I have been flying but that does not matter. The other issue is the rolling sunset clauses. These are not acceptable. I have listened to a good bit of this debate but I did not catch it all. I believe I might have heard somewhere that the Minister is willing to amend the wording. I am not sure about that but I hope he is. In truth, however, it tells us a great deal about the mindset of those drafting the legislation and of those who approved the legislation that these provisions remained in the draft legislation. I will listen carefully to hear what the Minister has to say on that matter.

On a very much related note, may I ask that, in the announcements expected tomorrow, we get guidelines that are simple and clear? I have just argued for nuance in legislation because that is where it is appropriate. When it comes to guidelines, however, we need simplicity and clarity. For example, when I hear of the possibility of different guidelines for tables that are 1 m apart and for those that are 2 m apart, to be honest, I lose the will to live. I understand where the abundance of caution and the attempts to manage things come from but what happens when people push their chairs back a little bit? The 2 m is now 1.7 m. Are they breaking the law? Is the owner of the restaurant or hotel breaking the law? Is somebody going to take out a measuring tape and measure the distance? This type of guideline is unenforceable. We all know that. It brings the law into disrepute. People who have followed guidelines to the letter and who want to do so will start to ignore them. If we make the guidelines simple and clear, they are much easier for people to follow.

I am not making up the following story. It actually happened today. I was speaking to someone on the phone. It was just a general conversation, I was not speaking to a constituent. This person was talking about families not being able to dine together. I said that is to be allowed and that there is to be an allowance and a different number when children and adults are involved. This person watches the news and reads the newspapers but was still confused about this. To be honest, unless we have very simple guidelines that everyone can understand, many people will be in that situation. I am not telling the Minister, the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, or anybody else what decisions to make. I am saying that these decisions should be made and that we should be then given one distance. We should be given a number rather than a series of numbers. We should then let people get on with it.

The possibility of time limits on dining has been raised. Let the owners of hotels and restaurants decide that. It is not something that should be decided centrally. I hope it will not be. In addition, if hotels can open their restaurants, then all restaurants should be allowed to open. As I said, if we are given rules that are simple and straightforward, it is much easier to comply.

I will make one or two final points. With regard to the green certificate, I hope the Minister will tell me I have heard wrongly as it was only on the grapevine, but I have heard that while member states will, of course, have flexibility in when and how to introduce the certificate, there is a possibility that they may pick and choose provisions. There are three conditions. If one has been vaccinated, has recovered from Covid or has a negative test, one should be able to access this green certificate. I have heard rumours that we may pick and choose and perhaps it will only be those who have been vaccinated who will have access to this certificate. That would be devastating for the aviation industry. It is only speculation and I hope what I have heard is incorrect. Yesterday, I spoke of the importance of the aviation industry, of Shannon Airport and of the transatlantic connection to the whole west coast.

I am from the north west - Sligo - but I recognise the value and the importance of that service. Our aviation industry is on its knees. I am calling on the Minister to ensure that the green certificate introduced here is in conformity, inasmuch as possible, with that of our European neighbours. I ask him please not to pick and choose as to one or the other.

By and large, this Government has done a reasonable job on Covid. It is a global pandemic. There are no rules. No rules could have be written beforehand. When its over, rules can still change because we cannot negotiate with a virus. It is easy to be wise after the fact. In my view, those who have to make the decisions beforehand have the really tough job and they have to stand or fall on those decisions. As I said previously, I think the Minister and the Government have done a reasonable job in extraordinary and completely unforeseen circumstances.

In regard to the legislation we are discussing now, the timeframe is too long. We should be looking to unwinding rather than rolling over measures. I hope that in our consideration of the Bill on Committee Stage the Minister will take on board some of the amendments that are proposed because I genuinely believe they will improve this legislation. That is what everyone in this House wants to see happen.

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