Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also acknowledge the major contribution made by our front-line care workers and our volunteers working in the vaccine centres. I am sorry to point out that the easing of Covid-19 restrictions has not brought any easing of stress for our leaving certificate students and their need for choice in this exam year. They suffered hugely from the restrictions and isolation imposed. No other leaving certificate students suffered as much as they did. They deserve better from the Minister and the Department of Education than a roll-out of the traditional leaving certificate following a couple of years that have been anything but traditional. This is bad for the well-being of leaving certificate students, who know what they need as citizens and as exam candidates.

It is also bad that there are cold and sometimes freezing conditions, which these students and teachers are reporting to me in classrooms across north Kildare, while HEPA filtration is still on the long finger. When did it become accepted that these children and their teachers and families should just get on and fend for themselves? Fending off an airborne virus is not science and restrictions cannot be confused with mitigation, especially when we have a positivity rate of more than 30%. Vulnerable people must also live, shop, work, go to school and college and take public transport so we still need working mitigations. These vulnerable people pay taxes and many provide care in their communities. The economy and health service would be in real trouble if they just locked themselves away to fend off the virus.

We also need a proper strategy for dealing with long Covid. I am extremely worried about this, given the extremely long waiting lists we have at present. Our front-line care workers are hanging on by a thread. It is only really their solidarity with each other that is keeping them going.

We are very optimistic. As a republican, I am always optimistic. The lifting of the restrictions is also optimistic but we have to be cautious. The WHO expressed concern about the narrative that the pandemic is over thanks to the vaccines, but until vaccination is available around the globe the issue of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS, waiver cannot be allowed to drop off the table because none of us wants to go backwards. People are happy and relieved that the restrictions are being lifted, especially our young people. We all generally regard those years as the best of our lives and young people put those years on hold to protect their families and communities.

I also welcome that we will have a new holiday next year, the feast of Imbolc, in honour of the Kildare feminist and Celtic goddess, Brigid, and in memory of all those we have lost due to Covid. This extra bank holiday will bring us closer to the EU average for public holidays and that too is welcome as a first step.

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