Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In fairness, we all want to see the reopening of indoor dining and hospitality in a safe way, and we all want to take the advice of the national public health authorities. We want to do the right thing. I spoke on this yesterday and, as I said, the devil is in the details. I am very concerned that we are drawing a line between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. We are seeing the rapid spread of the Delta variant and we must protect those who are not vaccinated from getting Covid-19, but I am not sure we are doing this the right way. I am concerned about staff in the hospitality sector. They are largely young and unvaccinated because we did not prioritise them. I am concerned about businesses and the information that is not being provided to them.

I have received many calls and emails, and people have called to my office with petitions. There are people who are vaccinated who oppose this and take exception to being asked for private health information in order to eat on an evening out. They say they will not stand for this. There are also people who could not get a vaccine for a variety of reasons. They are concerned too. Businesses in Carlow and across Ireland are afraid to reopen this month until they see how this works, who enforces it and what the public reaction is. Staff are afraid of negative treatment if they ask customers about vaccination. Some customers have vowed not to spend in the hospitality sector because of this.

We are planning to restrict indoor dining to those who are vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19. However, we will allow in children under 18 years old, who do not have the possibility of a vaccination. I do not for a second advise that we ban them, but this makes no sense when we do not allow indoor summer camps for children on public health grounds. That has been a major issue for me. Many families and women who have rang me are very upset about that.

Are we putting young people at risk of Covid or long Covid with this? We are allowing one sector to have this but we are not allowing it to another sector. We have to be careful. The inconsistencies are massive and people have valid concerns. I have heard from many people in Carlow and I have listened to them. I am caught. I have concerns about how quickly this legislation is coming in but I am also concerned about the businesses that have been closed for more than a year. I have had many meetings with businesses in the hospitality sector that have been closed for so long. I know it is a huge issue for jobs. We have to be very mindful of this. While the legislation provides a framework to enable an assessment of the potential use of PCR testing and antigen testing we are only bringing forward proposals. We do not have enough vaccines to vaccinate the young people in Ireland. Do we even have a plan for those aged under 18? There is too much of a rush but I want to help those businesses that are suffering.

I would insist that the legislation only be for a short period. It will end on 9 October. This is the one commitment we need to give today. We are still in the middle of a global pandemic. Just this morning, we saw an increase in hospitalisations because of the virus. I really am concerned about what we are seeing abroad. Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Bulgaria, Finland, Poland, Spain and Sweden all have these certificates. France and Greece are moving in the same direction. They are doing it to encourage vaccination. In contrast, the UK Government's Covid status certification review report of July 2021 stated that while there would be a public health benefit, it was judged that the burden, particularly on those not yet offered a full course of vaccination, would be disproportionate to the public health benefit at this stage of the pandemic. The UK is not doing what we are doing in this regard. There is so much to lose with these restrictions. We have a huge number of infections. We have to tread carefully and listen to that side of the argument. We need to listen to every side. There are huge concerns.

We said we would not make mandatory vaccination a rule but we are asking Irish people to get vaccinated or they cannot participate fully in the reopening of our society. This is not right. I spoke yesterday about the simple issue of toilets. At present, unvaccinated people sitting outside can use the facilities inside a restaurant. Will they still be allowed to do this when we allow vaccinated diners inside? How does this make sense. The Delta variant transmits faster so a few minutes in a public bathroom could be dangerous for an unvaccinated person and could put staff at risk. Are businesses to segregate toilets? Who will police this mixing? If there is an outbreak, what will be the liability for businesses that have done everything right? Businesses have legitimate concerns about how this will work and whether it will backfire on them and their staff. There are too many questions. There is a lot of discomfort.

I would like to see more emphasis on vaccinating those who can and want a vaccine regardless of age. We should open the portal to those aged under 18. I reckon we would see a massive surge in vaccine uptake. People have been so good and I compliment the people of Ireland. The vaccination uptake has been absolutely brilliant. We need to work with the people, as we are doing. Summer is coming and hospitality is very important as are all jobs in all sectors. We have to be very careful.

Are we doing enough? The communication is not right. There is such confusion. I will give an example. This morning, I spoke to someone who cannot be vaccinated because of medical issues. We have been told people can get a letter from a doctor. Will the person I spoke to have to pay for this letter? Must he ring his doctor to look for a medical letter? Will he have to pay for it? It is unacceptable if people must go to their doctor and get a letter and have to pay for it. We have to be very careful how we do this. What way will the HSE work on it? Will it give out letters?

People who do not want to get the vaccine have genuine concerns. We have to be very mindful of them. We cannot have a two-tier society. I ask the Tánaiste to look at this. I ask that we do not rush it. We have to say well done to everyone. We have to compliment everyone because Covid has been so hard with the loss of lives. We have to put people's lives first and that is something the Government can be very proud of. When we move on we have to make sure it is an Ireland for all and that everyone is included. I ask the Tánaiste to do this.

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