Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Bacik talked about her distaste for the language, and I agree with her. She went on to talk about the contrast between the Seanad and the Dáil. She said there is a more collaborative approach in the Seanad. Perhaps she is ignoring the reality of what has happened here. We are getting an opportunity to discuss this because the Rural Independent Group has used its precious Private Members' time to allow us to have a discussion. Later today, a Bill which will become an Act, will be pushed through the Dáil and will be guillotined. That is the context. It is difficult to have collaboration within that environment. That has happened repeatedly, from day one.

This is a clever motion in the sense that it calls for the end to discrimination. I fully agree with that. It is unacceptable that the Government is going to bring in a divisive, discriminatory policy that puts the responsibility on pub-owners and on restaurants to ask me whether I am vaccinated or not. It is unacceptable. It nakedly exposes the fallacy that we are all in this together.

I come from a city where there is no respite. I know people who are minding their loved ones 24 hours a day because they have various disabilities. Week after week, polite Ministers have answered my questions but with no solution. We can now open restaurants and we can vaccinate. I am in a group of 60 to 69-year-olds. I have been told to take the AstraZeneca or go to the bottom of the list. A substantial number of 60 to 69-year-olds could not get the second vaccination. They have been told to sit and wait. Although I am no expert, I read and I read. One of the strongest things is that you should mix the AstraZeneca with a different vaccination to give maximum protection against the Delta variant. That has been ignored completely.

I am looking at a most discriminatory approach. The motion does not say that restaurants should open tomorrow. It is saying that when they open, they should be allowed to do their business without this discriminatory practice. If that is it, then I fully agree with it. I have no difficulty with that. The manner in which we have dealt with Covid-19 has been appalling. I fundamentally disagree with the last paragraph of the motion in relation to zero-Covid-19. I, along with a number of others, actively wanted zero-Covid-19. I believe the Government has missed the boat. It prematurely opened up earlier on. Most deaths in nursing homes and of elderly people occurred in the third wave. The statistics are so upsetting that I will not quote them. What really perplexes me, with the mixed messages that are coming from the Government, is that it is accepting this motion. It is neither opposing nor amending it. It is accepting it. This motion is states “no discrimination”, but the Government in a few hours’ time will push through legislation that discriminates. None of it makes sense to me.

The young people have been mentioned a lot. I have two young sons, so I am fully aware it from both sides. However, how can the Minister sit there and tell us that the 60 to 69-year-olds must wait to have a cup of coffee in a restaurant? They, including myself, have abided by all of the rules since day one but they are being told they cannot do so.

It is all about the numbers. It is all about what vaccines are available and how they get it out. The Government is being reactive. There is no plan for retail, restaurants, and pubs to open up. The discrimination between wet and dry pubs was utterly absurd and unacceptable. Here we are a year and a half after a pandemic was declared, and we have total chaos from a Government that is not fit to lead. It is three unwise men, as I keep repeating. However, that is democracy and people voted them in. The Government is accepting this motion of non-discrimination but later on it will put through legislation that will discriminate. All the while in Galway there is no respite service for those most vulnerable.

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