Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 July 2021

Health (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2021: Second Stage

 

5:12 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank colleagues for their contributions today. It is clear the matters provided for in the Bill are of great interest to Members across the House. Many issues have been raised during the debate with a range of views and insights shared. There are Members of the House who believe restrictions should be relaxed more quickly and that we should open up more quickly. There are those who believe the provisions here are a safe way forward for reopening the sector. There are those who believe we should keep the entire sector closed for many months to come.

Some views being put forward, led by Sinn Féin, that we can open for everybody but we can do so safely. I put it to the House this is totally disingenuous. It is suggested that we can have our cake and eat it. At least some of those such as Deputy McNamara and others who propose we open up accept that their proposals would lead to an increase in the number of people who would die. At least some of the groups who have said we should keep everything closed accept that the entire hospitality sector should stay closed for several months. The view we can open it up now in an accelerated way for everybody and that it is safe, I have to say, is utterly disingenuous. I really believe that is Sinn Féin speaking out of both sides of its mouth.

Should the Bill be passed, it is my view we will have taken a sensible and balanced approach to the challenges still posed by Covid-19. With regard to the hospitality sector, I believe the Bill achieves the best possible balance between what is a very understandable desire on the part of the sector and public to resume normal activities and the very sound principles of public health and the public health advice that we have.

As the House is aware, clear and concerning public health advice led the Government to pause the planned easing of measures. We are, of course, keen to see the safe resumption of normal social and economic life. I am very conscious of the sacrifices that have been made by everyone over the past 17 months. At the same time, our society has borne these difficult times with amazing solidarity and togetherness. We have protected the most vulnerable. Our health system has been protected to the greatest possible extent and this will continue to be our shared goal.

It is now more than 16 months since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Ireland. Since then, nobody in the country has not been affected in some way by the consequences of this disease and not a single person has not been asked to make a sacrifice in this unprecedented national effort. The disease has had an impact on morbidity and mortality, on our way of life and on the lost opportunities for marking significant life events. Most positively, as I have mentioned, the vaccine roll-out has continued apace. Over the past week, we have had one of the highest rates of vaccination anywhere in the world. This week, we will hit a fantastic milestone of administering our 5 millionth vaccine dose. The Citywest vaccination centre reached 250,000 vaccine doses earlier this week. I thank all our vaccinators and volunteers throughout the country for everything they have done and they continue to do.

While we cannot afford to become complacent in the face of this virus, we have a clear pathway to gradually move out of the restrictions that it has necessarily imposed. The proposals we are discussing this evening have been brought forward jointly by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in consultation with their sectors and union representatives. I know these Departments are working with the sectoral bodies on producing the necessary guidelines and protocols that will be available shortly and in advance of the date of opening.

In the remaining time available to me, I want to address some of the issues that have been raised by colleagues through the debate this evening. One word that has kept coming up is "solidarity" and that we need to show solidarity. I want to ask the question in a different way. We have an opportunity to get people back to work. These are people who have been out of work for an awfully long time and who have suffered terribly because of this. We have public health advice that says we have an opportunity to get these people back to work. They want to get back to work. We have an opportunity to do it safely. This opportunity means those who are vaccinated or who have recovered can go indoors and so we have a choice. Very shortly we will all have the opportunity to be vaccinated, as it is now open to all groups from the age of 18 up. To me the act of solidarity is us all, whether we are vaccinated or not, deciding that regardless of whether or not we can go indoors just yet, we have to give people the opportunity to go back to work. If we cannot go indoors now we will be able to do so in a few weeks' time. The alternative is to say that because I cannot avail of it, nobody should be able to avail of it and people should not be able to avail of the opportunity to go back to work. The act of solidarity is saying let us get people back to work regardless of the impact it has on an individual in the short term. I believe that is solidarity.

A question has been raised about discrimination. We already differentiate in public health measures between people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated with regard to international travel measures. The entire EU digital Covid certificate is based on vaccination status. There are additional measures people have to take if they do not have that vaccination or testing status. Many of the Deputies who are saying we cannot differentiate based on health status did not raise any of these issues or concerns when it pertained to international travel. The principle is there. It is about what is safe. We do not allow smoking in pubs and restaurants but we allow it outside because for the people in the pub or restaurant it is not safe for other people to be smoking in there. We allow people who are aged 18 and over to drink alcohol in pubs or restaurants. We do not allow people who are aged under 18 to drink alcohol in pubs or restaurants because we deem it to be not safe based on public health grounds. This is the same. It is about saying if we follow the current guidelines, it will be safe for the people inside and for the staff.

That is what this legislation is about. It is about what is safe and what is unsafe. If we have an opportunity to get a lot of men and women back to work, we need to take that opportunity. That is what we are doing in this Bill, and we are doing it safely.

A number of Deputies asked whether other countries are using the EU digital Covid certificate for dining. Greece, Portugal, Austria and Denmark are currently doing so. Additional counties, including Germany, are using other verification systems that involve, in essence, the same process. The EU position has been that national governments are free to legislate for domestic use of the EU certificate, which is what we and other countries are doing. There were several reasonable questions on verification. It is currently being worked through with the industry as to what is the most appropriate method for verification.

Deputies raised legitimate concerns around staff and whether they will be safe. I assure colleagues that the Chief Medical Officer has reiterated today that if the protocols are followed, then it is safe for staff. We know staff are already working in this situation in hotels.

A number of good points were raised in respect of ventilation. This is a really important part of our response. An expert group has been set up and there are now several expert reports. I can share with colleagues that at a senior officials level, across Departments and State agencies, substantial advice is being brought to bear to create guidelines, sector by sector, to make sure we are using the advantages that good ventilation brings when dealing with this disease.

Several speakers asked whether the Bill facilitates the future use of testing. It facilitates both PCR and antigen testing.

Colleagues asked whether the measures set out in the legislation will be enforced. They can and will be enforced. It is important to say, however, that, primarily, it is about trusting people to do the right thing. That has been a common thread right from the start. We have had regulations around face masks, the number of people who could meet up in houses and gardens, and many other things. We have never had to rely on widespread enforcement because people recognise that this is public health advice that is keeping them and others safe. It will be the same in this case.

I am out of time. I thank those who helped to turn these proposals into legislation in such a short time. In particular, I thank the Attorney General and his staff, who have worked tirelessly, as well as officials from other Departments. I thank the House, the Bills Office, the Chief Whip's office, the Business Committee for scheduling the debate on the Bill and the health committee for its assistance in waiving pre-legislative scrutiny. I acknowledge the concerns raised by Deputies around how quickly the Bill has been brought through. This is not how we normally conduct business in the Oireachtas. We all know that.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.