Results 5,621-5,640 of 20,725 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: It came from the Ceann Comhairle.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am begging the Minister to be careful in terms of the language that is used. We had a briefing the other day with NPHET and the Taoiseach.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Immediately after that meeting, Dr. Ronan Glynn went out and talked about a lockdown. They are not listening.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Having listened to this debate all day, I am not reassured that we will have what Deputy Durkan and other speakers are calling for, namely, that in tandem with this quite draconian legislation, which was introduced without any pre-legislative scrutiny, we will have legislation to allow pubs to open. A carrot is being dangled in front of Deputies to get them to vote for this quite severe...

Nomination of Member of the Government: Motion (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am delighted to congratulate the Minister. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta agus lena chlann go léir. Deputy McConalogue's wife, Jackie, his two young boys, his home town of Gleneely in the north of Inishowen and the entire constituency of Donegal will be delighted. Importantly, the new Minister comes from a farming background. I thank the previous Minister, Deputy...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: What the Government and the Chief Whip have done amounts to downright blackguarding. Some 14 groups will have spoken in today's debate before our group gets to speak. If the experience over the past four years and before has taught me anything, it is that Government backbenchers have a habit of not turning up. The Ceann Comhairle is well aware of that, as is everyone else here. As I said...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: It is the wrong Minister.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: We are going to have the wrong Minister.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: We have had the lecture already. It is our duty to scrutinise this legislation and ensure the public can support it.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: On the same matter, this is farcical in the extreme. Section 13 gives the Minister for Health powers to introduce different regulations, as Deputy Howlin has alluded to. There is so much uncertainty around this area. We all bought into this situation in good faith back in March last and we did our best with regard to emergency sittings and legislation but this is a step too far. We are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. In March and April, the focus was rightly on flattening the curve. Everybody co-operated with that. At the height of the pandemic, there were 879 patients in hospital,160 of whom were in ICU. It appears that great work was done by everyone. I sympathise with anyone who lost their life and the trauma people went through. However,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Sorry, 22 cases. There were four confirmed cases of Covid-19 in ICU beds.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the Chairman. That is better again. People are rightly concerned as to why we have a lockdown, in particular in one county. The pub industry has been closed down, despite it having no part to play in spreading the virus. There has been damage to the economy and mental health as well as other side effects, such as people who are waiting for a plethora of procedures. Can we now...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I wish to speak about another situation that gives mixed messages. I compliment the community in Golden, in my county, where an incident broke out two weeks ago in Walsh Mushrooms. I got a phone call from Kate Killeen of the HSE, whom I thank and who kept me informed. The Army, the Garda, the Ambulance Service and everybody else rolled in and did the testing on a parish site. This can be...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: We all, leaders of groups and parties, had weekly briefings with NPHET, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. They have stopped as of two months ago at least. While many of them were not hugely useful, we need to be kept abreast at least. All our groups, meaning the representatives of the people, need to know what is going on.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I accept that. I am talking about the briefings for the party and group leaders. They were held weekly and we all attended. They suddenly stopped, way before the summer recess. They have not resumed. Perhaps it is a political question.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the witnesses for their attendance. There have been a lot of illogical situations in terms of our handling of the Covid-19 crisis. I earlier mentioned that we set out to flatten the curve, and we did. Why is NPHET victimising one particular segment of our economy, namely, pubs, without any evidence? Who came up with the guideline that if a person has a €9 meal, he or she is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I would like to comment on that point. The Minister was quoted as saying at a recent press conference that in one weekend 6,000 pubs were inspected and 26 were found to be non-compliant. That can be compared with the meat plants. There is one in my own home town of Cahir. Only 39 inspections were carried out in meat plants and 30 of those were preannounced. Those figures are stark. They...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Mattie McGrath: The factory in Cahir ten miles away was not closed. The tests were done by a private company behind closed doors. There was space in the mushroom plant. Why was there a difference between what happened in Golden and what happened ten miles away? The HSE did an excellent job, as did the Garda and everyone in Golden with the locals, and I compliment the local community. It was a whole...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (30 Jul 2020)

Mattie McGrath: The Minister will reply when the Deputy has finished.