Results 24,181-24,200 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Okay. A variety of issues have been raised by colleagues. When the Chair deems it the appropriate time, I will address all of those. I have been instructed just to address the amendment and I will come back to the other issues whenever it is appropriate. Specifically on the amendment, it seeks to insert a definition of “relevant statutory instrument”. All statutory...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: We have probably covered many of the issues between this contribution and the last. I will, with the Ceann Comhairle's permission, address the various points that have been raised. I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I will address Deputy McNamara's points. He stated that the amendments we are discussing right now give the Oireachtas the power to scrutinise the regulations....

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is very important that we understand that-----

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is very important that we understand that the Oireachtas absolutely has the power to annul any regulation laid before it.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Deputy McNamara has taken to shouting regularly during people's contributions. I have sat in the Chamber for hours listening very carefully. I am trying to address all the points the Deputy raised. Will he afford me the respect of allowing me to answer his questions?

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy has stood in the Chamber month after month and demanded-----

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Deputy McNamara has repeatedly demanded that I, on behalf of the Government, be accountable to this House. He is right to demand that, but in order to hold me to account he has to let me finish and answer him. I am trying to answer him. The point I am making is that either House of the Oireachtas already has the power to annul any regulation it wants at any time it wants, but these...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy asked for an impact report before we come back on mandatory hotel quarantine and I committed to doing that and discussing it at whatever length the Dáil and Seanad wanted. There was a serious and substantive request for a change to a Bill in July, which was to add one sunset clause. It was a request from Deputies Shortall and Cullinane and others in this House. It was a...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: That is my next point. When the Deputy suggests that I or others are not listening to the science, she knows that it is simply not true. It is a good sound bite, but the Deputy, I and everyone in here knows the Government's response has been public health led. The Deputy suggests I will not listen to anyone other than NPHET and then gives the example of antigen testing. I set up an expert...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I will just finish this sentence and then I will come back to the Deputy.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy knows it is not true to suggest I will not listen to anyone other than NPHET on antigen testing. I recognise the Deputy has been advocating for ventilation consistently for a long period of time. It has been looked at several times. There was the group that reported into NPHET, as the Deputy knows. NPHET did not endorse its view, but noted it. We have this group in the HSE...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is true. He has accused me and here he goes. He cannot listen to it.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: No, it is not a point of order.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy is a great man for giving insults-----

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: He has accused me and Government of being Nazis. He said in this House last week that we should be brought to the Hague for war crimes. He is a great man for throwing out horrendous insults, but he cannot take it. He cannot listen to the response.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: There he goes again. He is not able to listen to the response.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: He just gives it, but he is not able to take it. He is not able to listen to any criticism.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: He does not support the measures and he has voted and advocated consistently in a way that would put peoples lives and those of our nurses and doctors at risk. His record on this issue on opposing all of the measures required to keep people safe in this country speaks for itself. What does he do? He accuses people of being Nazis and says they should be tried for war crimes.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy is a disgrace-----

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: -----and he continues to be such.