Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 July 2021

Lifting of Covid-19 Restrictions: Motion [Private Members]

 

10:42 am

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and I, too, support it. We have been lacking from this Government a proportionate and logical response to the public health crisis we face. Sinn Féin's objective throughout this pandemic has been to keep people safe. We have supported difficult decisions that have curtailed personal freedoms and we have not done so lightly. Yesterday, the Government members of the Joint Committee on Health voted to waive pre-legislative scrutiny of the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021. That is disgraceful. The legislation needs to be scrutinised and all parties must be allowed to voice their concerns and have those concerns addressed insofar as possible. To do otherwise is to be reckless with the freedom of our citizens and sets a dangerous precedent.

It is clear we need to plan to manage variants that are circulating such as Delta and Lambda. The Government has a responsibility to present a clear and logical plan and must share the data and science behind its decisions. Otherwise, we fuel the conspiracy theories and the graduates of the universities of Facebook and Twitter. We must address the questions the man and woman on the street have. One of those questions is why a vaccinated person can spend as long as he or she wants indoors with people unless the indoor setting is a pub or a restaurant, where that person's stay is limited to 105 minutes. While NPHET and NIAC advise the Government, they are just that - advisers. The Government has an obligation to consult industry representatives to ensure a buy-in for the proposals.

More importantly, the Government must listen to representative bodies of vulnerable groups such as Sage Advocacy, ALONE, Care Champions, Jigsaw and Aware. Last year, my colleague, an Teachta Mark Ward, introduced the Mental Health Parity of Esteem Bill 2020 to the House. That Bill is described in the preamble as "An Act to place mental health on parity with physical health". The Bill is long overdue and the Government would do well to remember its aim of achieving parity between mental health and physical health. When considering any restrictions, we must consider mental health. Of course physical health is important but it is no less important than mental health. I am dealing with people who are on hospital waiting lists, falling through the cracks with the carry-on here, so I ask that something be done soon.

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