Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I have just heard on the grapevine that the Taoiseach has made an announcement indicating the restrictions that were to lift on 22 October may not now be lifted but may be extended. For a number of reasons, I hope I am wrong in my understanding that the Taoiseach is thinking along that direction. We are talking about the budget so I will mention it in that context first and foremost. I understand this country has spent €41 billion on Covid-related measures. Many of those measures were absolutely necessary and were lifesavers for families around the country, but the truth of the matter is that many of them were not absolutely necessary. Ireland took a restrictions path that was a massive outlier in European terms. No other country - none - restricted as long and as deeply as we did. All of them managed to find solutions to be able to function at some level. They locked down and restricted when it was necessary but Ireland was very inward and very insular in its approach and went in a completely different direction from the rest of Europe. If you look at the amount spent, for example, we have spent twice the European average on Covid-related elements within the State and four times the amount spent by countries such as France.

That has come at a massive cost. Unfortunately, we are rushing towards a national debt of €270 billion within the next three or four years, which means, right now, €50,000 per person is owed by every man, woman and child in the State. Some €100,000 per worker is owed currently in this State. I have listened to a lot of the debate around the budget. I do not know if any other political party has mentioned the fact that these two issues are significantly related. We now have the Taoiseach's comments and the Tánaiste, who was on Newstalk this morning, said he will go to the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, to discuss whether to extend the restrictions. I was told, and it was reported in the media, that NPHET was going to be wound up in mid-October. Is that a reversal of policy by the Government? Is it not going to wind NPHET up? Is it now a reversal of policy that it will not proceed with the relaxation of the restrictions?

There is a major cost to this. First of all, in hospitals like the one in my town, Navan, accident and emergency departments and ICUs are being closed. These are the front lines of the Covid battles and the places that have suffered the most, and saved the most lives, during Covid. At a time when the Government is considering extending the restrictions, it is also considering closing the front lines of the Covid battle. I do not know how anybody can get their heads around those dual and polar opposite actions by the Government.

The other aspect to this is that I was in contact with a hotel today that is full. On 23 October, that hotel will be full. You can bet your bottom dollar that most hospitality will be stuffed to the gills on that particular date because, first, it has been crying out for a relaxation of these rules so it can function without having to depend on EWSS and PUP, etc. and can make a proper living and, second, a significant section of Irish society has decided, for whatever reason, not to be vaccinated. These individuals have waited very patiently and many of them have felt discriminated against. Indeed, they have been discriminated against. As citizens, they do not have the same rights as people who are vaccinated at the moment. I believe every adult should make that decision for themselves but we are now saying to a whole cohort of the population, 10% or at least 500,000 to 600,000 adults in the State, that the discrimination against them is now likely to continue, potentially until Christmas. That has enormous mental health implications. Weddings and family events, etc. that have been organised post 22 October will now have to be radically altered, if this is the case.

Will the Minister or the Minister of State articulate the Government's current position on those restrictions and whether it will extend them? I urge the Government not to extend them. Paul Reid stated that when 70% of the adult population was vaccinated, it would be okay to lift the restrictions. Some 90% of the adult population is now vaccinated. Denmark lifted Covid restrictions on hospitality in May. This is October. I have listened to a summer of Government Deputies talking about the fact that they are looking into antigen testing. There is currently nothing but tumbleweed happening from the Government on antigen testing for the hospitality sector. The vast majority of countries in the European Union decided to stay safe, to be careful and to be cautious. They decided to introduce a pass that did not involve discrimination in relation to the vaccine and also offered the opportunity for an antigen test. This was for good reason because antigen tests work out whether a person has Covid. A person can have Covid, or be in ICU, if he or she is vaccinated. A vaccine is no guarantee that he or she will not spread Covid. In fact, antigen testing is a better protector of society and is less discriminatory.

We will head into major costs, both societal and financial, if the Government extends this Covid pass in the hospitality sector over the next while. Many of those businesses are basically hanging on. They are in a zombie situation. They are existing because they are currently supported by funding from the Government.

When that funding is pulled, many of them will not exist. It is indicated that up to 50,000 redundancies have yet to crystallise in Irish society. When we are talking about the budget, going forward, it is important that we do not ignore the fact that we need to ensure that society can live and that hospitality can move on.

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