Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Well, then, you should use them. Have manners. Did I interrupt you?

I call on our national broadcaster to be responsible in its broadcasting. That is why it is being given the licence fee to do so.

It is very difficult for the Government to impose restrictions. It has not been easy on the citizens of this State. It has not been easy for the social fabric or the economic fabric of this State. Yesterday, with my colleague Deputy Durkan and many others, I met people from the hospitality sector. It has been a really difficult time for them over the past 18 months and now they have further restrictions. The Minister is sitting at the Cabinet table. I understand an announcement is coming up regarding economic supports for this sector and I plead with the Minister that they are given every support possible. They were very thankful yesterday for the supports they have been given over recent months, and it was responsible of them to recognise that.

We still have huge amount to learn about the new variant and we are learning as we go along. Maybe if there had been no new variant, we might not be in this serious situation we are in today.

People spoke about antigen tests. In some European countries there are pop-up antigen tests free of charge. It is not a swab up the nose and, although I am only going on hearsay, my understanding is it is a saliva test. We have time between now and Christmas, or up to the middle of December, to have pop-up test facilities across Dublin, Limerick, Cork and the bigger cities, which would be a very worthwhile project. People would get their email and when went into a restaurant would be able to say they had their antigen test in one of these pop-up facilities.

I encourage the Minister to look at that aspect.

My other issue concerns vaccinations for children aged five to 12. I plead with the Minister to ensure we roll out this vaccination process as soon and as fast as possible. It has been proven that the vaccines are working in secondary schools. The highest rate of infection now is to be found in our primary schools. I plead with the Minister, therefore, to get the roll-out of the vaccination process underway for those aged five to 12. It is of the utmost importance. I spoke with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, about this issue at a committee meeting yesterday. In his opening statement, the Minister said that 91% of those aged 12 years old and older have taken the opportunity to get vaccinated. What we are witnessing here is unique, compared to the rest of the world. We should, indeed, also make more financial supports available to Third World countries in respect of the roll-out of vaccines.

I could speak here for the next hour on this issue, but I plead with the Minister to look at the points I have raised. I commend him on the job he is doing. I also commend the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the three Government parties. This is a very difficult time. The Opposition has no responsibility here. It does not want the responsibility and it will never take it in respect of this traumatic time we are witnessing as a country.

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