Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I spoke on this Bill last Friday. I support the Government's efforts. The science does not lie. Consider the number of hospitalisations. The Government and NPHET asked people to reduce their social contacts, which people have since done over the past number of weeks. It is working and there are fewer people in hospital with Covid.

It is easy for the people opposite. I feel strongly on this. Some of the stuff is bizarre. Yesterday, Sinn Féin said that it supported public health. I have seen a Sinn Féin councillor in Wexford calling on people to come out onto the street to support parents who were protesting against children having to wear masks in primary schools, yet Sinn Féin Members say in the Dáil that they support public health. I was nearly attacked last week when I was making my statement. They will say one thing in here but their public representatives across the country, or in my county at least, will ask for something else. God help the country if Sinn Féin was in government right now and having to deal with this situation. Sinn Féin went to ground when the pandemic hit the country in March 2020. No public representative from Sinn Féin was to be seen. Sinn Féin put a hand up to see which way the wind was blowing, which is how it has worked for the past year and a half.

Deputy Mattie McGrath spoke about pre-legislative scrutiny. What the Taoiseach said today in the Chamber was that debating this would take up to six months if we were to have pre-legislative scrutiny in committee. The pandemic would be far out of reach of any attempt to catch up to it if we were to take such a blasé approach. It is something that we have to act on immediately. The Government has to make decisions quickly. We might not get all of them right and, at times, the communications can be a little out of kilter. I actually agree with the Government's approach, in that we should have one voice. In recent months, there have been too many voices speaking about Covid - NPHET, the Government and so on. It is NPHET's job to advise the Government and it is the Government's job to make decisions. I was privileged to sit at the Cabinet table for nine and a half years. Things have not changed. There are many organisations, including NPHET, that advise the Government on health-related matters. It is then up to the Government to communicate the message. Difficult decisions have needed to be made over the past while.

Last week, I spoke about the roll-out of the vaccine to five- to 11-year-olds. I thank the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, and the Minister for the swift response. This is a good day. I ask that there be no delay in the roll-out. I have three kids all under the age of 11. They will be the first in the queue. They want to be, so it will be of their own free will that they will. The roll-out is only right and proper. I encourage as many parents and guardians as possible to ask their children to get vaccinated because the vaccine saves lives. According to the science, Covid has been rampant in primary schools whereas there have been fewer outbreaks in secondary schools and third level institutions despite their students having many more social contacts.

Answering questions earlier, the Taoiseach referred to how, for health or other reasons, there were people who could not take the vaccine. I would like something to be done for them. Being honest, I wrongly did not have enough sympathy for them. They were being tarred with the same brush as anti-vaxxers and so on. I understand from what the Taoiseach said that the Department is looking to see whether anything can be done. I do not know what can be done. It would be very difficult. How do we tell who is an anti-vaxxer and who is not? There are some very genuine people, though. Most of those who, due to health reasons, are unable to have the vaccine do not mix or go out. They have been minding themselves and are very careful. Will the Minister consider this issue?

I feel strongly about another matter. Weddings are being attended by 100, 200 or 250 people, who are mixing and gathering. As I have mentioned on local radio, Covid loves alcohol and alcohol loves Covid. A wedding is an alcohol-fuelled affair, with 50% or 60% of people still drinking at the end of the night. For the life of me, I cannot understand why it is that people who are attending weddings are not asked to produce Covid certificates. Some hotels have been asking people to produce certificates, but it should be mandatory that people attending large settings, including for weddings, be asked to produce Covid certificates. That is only right and proper, and many wedding couples would welcome it because they do not want to put their guests' health at risk. Many hotels have taken it upon themselves to ask people for certificates. Will the Minister consider this matter? It is not too late to do the right thing. Weddings are special occasions and I know that the Minister does not want to put additional stress on couples, but many of them would welcome this move.

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