Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Hoey's remarks. She and I met four years ago at the publication of the Cassells report. We sat down together and I assured her I would press with the author of the report its implementation. At the time he warned that if the recommendations even in the first 12 months were not implemented, we would fall off a cliff edge. That was four years ago.

Last week in my remarks I touched on the importance of this House addressing the very essence of what faces us, that is, the threat to the survival of businesses, in particular those in the hospitality sector, which employs some 250,000 people. One of the biggest talking points over the weekend, especially on social media, was the images beamed out from the streets of Dublin of people recklessly drinking and not adhering to social distancing. Those in the hospitality sector who are tentatively getting back to work, as well as their employees, felt undermined by these scenes. A great many of them have put a huge degree of professionalism into getting their businesses Covid-compliant, making sure their customers are safe. The scenes in Dublin at the weekend caused anger and resentment, especially among restaurants and bars that are compliant. When I went out in my home town on Saturday night for a meal, members of the Garda came onto the premises to inspect it and make sure it was compliant. Yesterday, while in County Meath, Commissioner Drew Harris talked about the fact that a significant number in the force were deployed to oversee compliance over the weekend. There are people who are frustrated now, and I ask the Leader to convey this sense of frustration to both the Taoiseach and the Minister in charge. People are fearful now that there will be a regression and that the previously-stated date of 20 July will be walked back. These businesses have been closed since March. As I said, 250,000 people are employed in this sector and they are worried and angry. I know from dealing with many members of the Vintners Federation of Ireland and the Restaurants Association of Ireland over the weekend that they are angry at what happened because it undermines the good work they are doing and jeopardises the livelihood of their employees, who are anxious to get back to work. For God's sake, the people who engaged in the behaviour over the weekend and the premises that served the alcohol in the first place would want to show a great deal more cop-on in the coming days because, apart from putting people's health at risk, they are also putting at risk the livelihood of the families and employees in the sector. A great deal more cop-on would want to be shown by these people in the coming days. If not, those who are accessing that alcohol should stay the hell away from those premises because they are making a balls of it for the rest of us.