Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

A father told me today that his 12-year-old, 14-year-old and 16-year-old children have been banned from playing basketball because they have no vaccine pass. A volleyball coach in County Mayo was told not to accept girls between the ages of 12 and 17 if they do not have a vaccine pass. A kickboxing coach was also told not to accept children for the same reasons. A young girl was stopped from going on a school trip because she had no vaccine pass.

First of all, discrimination is wrong. Second, it makes no sense. Transmission of Covid-19 is happening between people who are vaccinated. If the Government wants to stop transmission, antigen testing is the way to do it. It also does not have the effect of discriminating against people. Children have suffered so much during the Covid pandemic. Their education has been hammered and their social development has been radically arrested over the last year. It is incredible that they are now facing being othered, segregated and banned from doing things that are good for their physical and mental health. It is wrong, cruel and useless. Will the Tánaiste reverse it?

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