Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On mortality, in our hospital system and more critically, in terms of our broader societal response, the Irish public service stands up alongside its peers across Europe and globally. While there is no doubt but that lessons can be learned from that, if one looks at the vaccination programme alone, it was one of the best vaccination programmes administered in the world, which dramatically protected Irish people from losing their lives, becoming severely ill or being hospitalised. That was not achieved on fresh air or without a competent public service behind it.

The Deputy first listed a number of areas in which things could without doubt have been done better but he should equally have shown the full balance sheet, in that some very significant work was undertaken by Irish public servants. We do not affirm that enough in this House. It is important to affirm, as well as to criticise and be negative.

The other key area and this is all happening in real time, is Brexit, which we had just before Covid. If one looks at the situation in the United Kingdom in respect of Brexit, compared to the preparation in the Republic, one would have to say that Revenue, social protection, various Departments and our ports authorities have responded well and efficiently. Maybe they could do better in some respects but, overall, Brexit was a considerable potential issue for us as an economy and a society and we have managed to deal with it-----

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