Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the HSE and its staff on the vaccination programme. I thank the public who have taken on board the advice to get vaccinated. I encourage everybody to take the vaccine for the safety of everybody in society.

I want to speak about the Government's proposals for the safe reopening and the legislation to be brought before the House today. This will be my only opportunity to speak on it. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is from a rural area and she understands that we have many small pubs and restaurants. I believe the legislation is confusing the public, business owners and their staff. How will the legislation be enforced? Where are the bodies to police or enforce it? It is completely unfair to expect small family-run businesses to enforce the laws that have been imposed upon them. It is particularly unfair on young people. It is very unfair on people who have not yet being vaccinated. It is also unfair on people who are 17 and could go into a restaurant today but by the time they turn 18 in a few weeks' time will not be able to go in. They will not have been vaccinated and will not have a green cert.

It is unfair on our publicans, restaurateurs and their families that we are implementing something that is unenforceable and will leave them with the responsibility to enforce it or face the consequences. It is also unfair on the staff in these premises because they will have to enforce a law they cannot explain. There is a lack of understanding. I want to see the safe opening of our businesses. I want to see our pubs and restaurants opened, especially the smaller ones, in a way that can be done. Someone staying in a hotel may eat in the hotel restaurant indoors without needing a green cert. There are too many contradictions.

There is a lack of common sense. People who go shopping are not checked. They are rubbing shoulders with other customers in the shops and yet we are introducing draconian laws to discriminate. Last year we split the pubs between wet pubs and dry pubs. We created an unnecessary division within the industry. I believe we do not need legislation; we need common sense. We have overanalysed what the problems are and have come up with something that is unworkable.

As we have mentioned many times, we are all in this together. However, introducing legislation that will discriminate and treat our citizens differently, as well as having an impact on their personal health information, is unjust and which will probably be challenged in the courts. We need to reflect and ensure whatever we do is fair to everyone.

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