Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is over the year and a half since July last year. Making the modest assumptions that each of these regulations has to be voted on, which is what the regulations say, and would involve three and a half hours of debate - this does not include the Seanad - it would essentially take up all the capacity the Dáil has to legislate. After Oral Questions, the Order of Business, Leaders' Questions and all of that, let us assume there are about six hours left in any given sitting day. Overnight, these regulations would more or less end the Dáil's ability to legislate. They would require six hours a day, three days per week for 33 weeks. That is not practical or something the Dáil could do because we would be able to do very little else. Given that it is not practicable, are there things we can do to address the legitimate concerns raised by colleagues today, last week and before that? I hope colleagues will accept that the briefings, notification on regulations, explanatory notes on regulations and various other matters we have discussed constitute a genuine attempt to meet the spirit of what they ask for because we simply cannot implement these regulations.

To make a political point to Deputy Cullinane, I have tried and am trying to meet the spirit of what is being asked for. He and I know the regulations he has tabled cannot be implemented. If he votes against the Bill because the Government will not amend it in a way that would essentially end the Dáil's ability to legislate, then he is consciously and deliberately voting against a public health-led approach. I do not believe he believes that. I believe he supports the public health approach and that he and his party accept there has to be a statutory basis for some of these regulations and public health measures.

Therefore, I would put it to the Deputy that it simply is not a reasonable position to say "we support public health, we accept there has to be a statutory basis, but we are going to vote against that statutory basis unless you do something that cannot be done." That is not fair on the people we are trying to protect from Covid and I do not think it would be fair on the health care workers, doctors, nurses and everyone else working in our hospital system. I do not believe that would be reasonable. I would ask the Deputy to meet me half way. I am genuinely trying to do things differently. I am asking not that the Deputy withdraw his amendments, but that he not vote against the Bill. He should by all means vote for his amendments, but I ask him to think again about voting against the Bill because the message that sends to all of our health care workers and to everyone who is going to get Covid and be very sick - unfortunately, many people still will get it and be very sick - is entirely the wrong message.

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