Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Even two years ago, the notion that the Dáil would be proposing to extend any types of restrictions on the way we live our lives would have been unthinkable. The prospect of a global pandemic that has thus far taken the lives of more than 5,000 Irish citizens and millions of lives across the globe was the stuff of science fiction, thrillers and horror movies. It is through the lens of that catastrophic and ongoing loss of life, the ongoing health impact for thousands who have had Covid-19 and the moral duty on us to do all we can to protect and save lives that we must view this extension. It is time for reflection but it is also time to remind the Government that it cannot rely on restrictions alone to combat the dangers of the virus.

There are things the Government still needs to do from a practical and policy point of view to allow some semblance of normality to return as we face into the challenge of the next few months in trying to live alongside this deadly virus. Where is the serial testing plan for nursing homes, as my colleague, Deputy Kelly, asked earlier? Why are we still waiting for the introduction of a statutory sick pay scheme? What is the status of a structured roll-out of antigen testing in schools and workplaces? First, however, we should reflect that yesterday, 1 November 2021, there were 2,855 new cases, compared with 546 cases on 1 November 2020. On 2 January 2021, there were 3,392 new cases. Where will we be in January 2022 and how can we prevent another January like this year's occurring? A total of 75% of the population is fully vaccinated but we are by no means out of the woods. We must approach this winter with precautionary measures and continue to manage regulation in an informed way.

The Labour Party agrees with this motion to extend the existing legislation because we are entering a very difficult winter. The sickness and loss of life we saw late last year and early this year cannot be allowed to happen again. With infection numbers on the rise, we must be vigilant and take responsible actions to help save lives. Given where the numbers currently are and the continued pressure on the health service, it is necessary, in our assessment, to maintain safeguarding measures in various public settings. We continue to support the extension of certain criminal justice measures and the mandatory wearing of masks. Action to protect workers and the public throughout the winter period must be maintained.

Will the enforcement agencies get serious about dealing with establishments that routinely flout the regulations on the checking of certificates? This is causing fear and anxiety and it needs to be tackled head-on from a public confidence point of view. I am glad that the calls by the Labour Party's health spokesperson, Deputy Duncan Smith, and others, including me, for front-line healthcare workers to be given booster vaccinations have been heeded. With the rising number of Covid hospitalisations, the longer we leave the booster campaign, the more challenging it will be as we will likely lose vaccinators to other employment, as has been the case in the past. The delivery of booster shots needs to start now. I welcome the Minister's announcement that the intention is to begin the programme next weekend or early next week. With 3,500 healthcare workers currently out sick, there can be no further delay. The level of hospitalisations relating to Covid has increased over recent weeks. The prudent and careful thing to do is to give healthcare workers the best possible protection as we face into an uncertain winter. This is a critical time for our hospitals and front-line workers, as all speakers will undoubtedly note. Health staff are exhausted and all the analysis shows that their mental well-being has been badly impacted by the pandemic. They must have the best possible protection as they face another uncertain winter of fighting this virus.

On a separate but related matter, the Government has missed the opportunity to provide the flu vaccine free of charge to everyone this year. The Covid vaccine roll-out means we have the infrastructure in place and the institutional knowledge and experience to deliver such a programme to all citizens. Doing so would have the potential to take pressure off emergency departments throughout the country this winter season. I cannot for the life of me understand why it did not happen. There is a real dread among healthcare staff and, indeed, among all of us about what lies ahead this winter. We need to ensure the HSE can deploy surge capacity at short notice if we experience a sudden spike in cases, and to prepare our acute hospitals for the weeks ahead. I will put to the Minister a question that was raised earlier today with the Tánaiste at Leaders' Questions by my party leader, Deputy Kelly. The HSE winter plan is normally published in September. When can we expect to see that plan and what will it contain?

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