Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us the opportunity to speak. It is very difficult for us to watch our time slots. As has been mentioned, often, Government politicians do not turn up for their slots. They fail to turn up, even though it is hugely important for them to speak on these issues for the people they represent. You could easily lose a speaking slot even if you are in a safe place watching the debate and trying to do your constituency work at the same time.

I wish to focus on a number of issues in relation to this Bill that need to be ironed out in this country. These issues concern the nursing home, hospitality, taxi and entertainment sectors, all of which are in very serious financial positions at present.

I will start with the nursing home sector. A very unwise decision was made during the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, Nursing Homes Ireland had to call out the inadequacies of Government planning to support nursing homes and to protect residents and staff from Covid-19. Nursing homes took early action to advise that visits to homes by the public would be suspended when the public health focus was on protecting other health services and other sectors of society. This highlighted the failure to plan in respect of and support nursing homes in the fight against a virus that was having a devastating impact on those homes.

It is extremely disappointing that it has been left to nursing homes to bring our attention the fact that the Government is again abandoning them, their residents and staff. I find it very difficult that, as NPHET is warning that 700,000 cases and 2,000 deaths could occur in the coming months, the Government is removing the support for intensified infection control measures within nursing homes. As of today, 1 July 2021, the temporary assistance payment scheme, TAPS, will cease to support the increased deployment of staff and the enhanced utilisation of specialised equipment required to intensify infection prevention control measures in nursing homes. The scheme has played an integral role in contributing to the additional costs, and supporting the implementation, of intensified infection prevention control.

Measures in private and voluntary nursing homes are not included in the context of fair deal scheme fees. The cessation of such support runs contrary to the recommendations of the public health Covid-19 nursing homes expert panel and the advice of HIQA that we must sustain the implementation of such measures. It also contradicts measures taken by the UK Government this week to extend its similar support scheme for care homes to the end of September, congisant of the ongoing necessity for intensified measures to continue to protect residents and staff from the virus.

NPHET has given a stark wake-up call that Covid-19 has not gone away, with the approaching Delta variants heightening public health concerns, yet the first supports to be withdrawn are those affecting the people who are most impacted by this pandemic, namely, nursing home residents and staff. It would be laughable if it were not so serious. There is no funding for nursing homes. The action being taken by the Government contradicts the health experts’ recommendation on continued protection of nursing home residents and staff at this continually precarious time and defies logic. Why does the Minister not ask NPHET for its advice on this again? What is happening is laughable. Can the Minister reinstate immediately the scheme to cover the months ahead? It needs to be continued to ensure sustainability and continuity of service provision. The irony of the whole thing is ridiculous. The Minister is taking money from nursing homes that are protecting the most vulnerable, yet he is closing businesses all over the country in the name of protecting the public. It makes no sense whatsoever. The Government is trying to sell the protection of people when funding should surely remain in place for the nursing homes. I would appreciate it if the Minister considered that issue further because it is of great concern to Nursing Homes Ireland, all the nursing homes and their staff and residents, who have suffered a lot for well over 12 months.

I would like to speak about the hospitality sector. Publicans and restaurateurs got an unmerciful kick again this week. A shockingly poor and ill-judged decision was made, again at the last minute. The Government seems hell-bent on promising something to the sector continuously and pulling it in the last seconds. I am told some of those affected had stock purchased. Those selling the products will not give them any credit; they want cash up-front. A decision was made in the last seconds to keep the businesses closed. This was outrageous and badly handled. The Government needs to wake up a small bit. I do not believe it has any sympathy. Admittedly, there was a storm at the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting last night at which members were pulling the hair out of each other but that is not much good if something is not happening. At the end of the day, the backbenchers are no longer listened to, and some of them are not opening their mouths at all.

The bottom line concerns the payments the Minister is putting in place for the businesses. They have now been closed for months. The length of time is incredible. The businesses have been destroyed. Their loyal employees have to leave and try to find employment elsewhere, if possible. The sector might be looking for workers in the area of outdoor dining but outdoor dining is not all it is cracked up to be. I looked at the forecast for this weekend. Saturday, Sunday and Monday are to be wet. There will not be a sinner out because people are not going to stay outside in the rain. It is okay if the sun shines. I cannot understand why the Government did not sit down with representatives of the hospitality sector before it met NPHET to determine what efforts businesses would make to ensure their customers would be safe. If it did, it could then sit down with NPHET and ask how the businesses could be reopened at the beginning of July, as promised, with safeguards in place and with everyone working together. Instead, there is a shut-door policy. The sector has no say. The Government meets and talks to its representatives when the horse has bolted and businesses are in tatters.

I would greatly appreciate it if the Minister outlined this evening what compensation he has set out for the publicans and restaurateurs who have had their businesses destroyed, do not know where they stand and do not trust any Government politician. They have no faith that the Government will stand over tomorrow what it will say today.

What is happening affects musicians. They are totally dependent on the little bit of business they used to get in the pub or restaurant. They feel neglected and do not know where to turn. They have been told to consider a different type of job. It is easier said than done. Musicians who may have done something all their lives are told all of a sudden that they must change their whole world and consider a job that may not be available.

Reference was made to taxi drivers. There are ways of resolving the crisis in the taxi sector. The nine-year rule dictating when a car should be changed is incredible. It could easily be worked on. The cars are fully tested and perfect on the road in every way. There is a ruling in this regard that needs to be changed. Other rules also need to be addressed but changing this one would at least be a great help.

Deputy O'Donoghue mentioned increases in electricity bills. We have a major crisis in our country in this regard. Somebody rang me today to remind me that there is a rural charge. Now, apparently, the ESB is bringing in some generators because we are running out of electricity in our country. We will not mention the Green Party or go any further in this regard for now. There is talk about ways of saving energy but why has it not been considered that the lights in many towns and on many streets could be turned off for a few hours some night? In some parts of the airport in Cork, there are up to 500 lights. They do not need to be on all night. We are not exploring the options but we are certainly facing a crisis in that we are to have no power in the country. It is extremely worrying for many. We have had four amber alerts in the past 12 months, which is unprecedented.

The announcement during the week on the hospitality sector has affected many young people who wanted to make their first holy communion or do their confirmation. It is funny that we find out that NPHET never made a ruling on that but the Tánaiste, Deputy Leo Varadkar, did. He is now the new health adviser. That is a new move. He decided that first holy communions and confirmations would not go ahead. It is just one day - one day on which the children could have a little bit of enjoyment. It could have been done safely but, again, nobody sat down and talked to anybody. It is dictation from the top. Could the church have had an outdoor ceremony? There are many ways in which the issue could have been addressed but there is nobody listening. Considering all the compensation, no one has ever thought of giving compensation to the clergy or church in these difficult times.

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