Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With respect, probably far more queries have been raised than I can respond to in the five minutes I have been allowed. With regard to each request for a debate, I will certainly write to the relevant Minister. Two of the debates requested in the past week have been acceded to. We will be having a debate on the July stimulus package next week, once it is announced. I will probably invite two Ministers to the House to discuss various facets, including finance, the economy and enterprise. I have asked the Minister responsible for tourism to come to the House to talk to us because tourism has been raised at every session we have had in recent weeks, not least because of all the issues raised today with regard to rural hospitality and, indeed, urban hospitality.

Senator Gavan raised the situation in Limerick. I will write today specifically to pass on the Senator's request with regard to the OPW. I will pass on the requests for all the debates and revert to the Senators as I get responses.

It has been a very interesting week. That is probably the kindest way to put it. I wish our new Ministers and the new Government well. I hope everything will settle down now and that we will get to the substantive business of the programme for Government.

With regard to the lovely wishes on the passing of Jack Charlton, I will do as I did last week regarding Dr. Tony Holohan. With the permission of the House, I will send a letter to Jack Charlton's family, including his wife, children and grandchildren, to express the love we all as a nation have for him, as has been expressed in the past week, because of the joy he brought all of us. I was only a young one at the time of Italia '90. I did not really know much about football but I certainly knew how to ride the wave of enthusiasm and joy Jack Charlton brought us. He is a national treasure. I agree, however, with Senator Boyhan that it is incumbent on us, notwithstanding the difficulties soccer has faced in this country in the past year, to build a living legacy to the tradition and the joy, and to the reinfection of interest in Irish soccer brought about by Jack Charlton. It would be worthwhile to have a Minister responsible for sport come to the House to talk about the plans not only for investment in soccer but also for investment in other sports.

Various Senators touched upon the advent of hate speech and its dissemination through various media in recent years. We need to have a proper debate on hate speech and on the Government's and society's response to it. It has reached a stage in this country when the smallest infringement is regarded as the most heinous crime. It does not just affect me because everybody in this House has probably been subjected to some form of abuse, be it online or verbally in person. The level of vitriol is just off the clock. I sometimes find it difficult to believe it is being offered by human beings who could put even two minutes' thought into what they write before writing it. It is just unimaginable that people could be so fuelled by the bitterness that they display, yet they are. What we need to do as Members of one of the two Houses is find a mechanism whereby we bring the vast majority of normal, sane, compassionate human beings in this country to a place where we can fight back, but in a very respectful way. We need new laws and a task force to decide what those laws are. We need to have a national conversation although I acknowledge that sounds trite. It should not just be imposed from the top down; we need to have a conversation. I will do my best to bring that about.

Reference was made to well-being in all its shapes and forms. With regard to the restrictions over recent months, I am aware everybody was disappointed yesterday by the decisions made. It is interesting — again, I do not mean to be disrespectful — that we are talking a lot, for all the right reasons, about reopening businesses in the hospitality sector, including pubs and entertainment venues, but not acknowledging that our R number is now at 1.2, or potentially 1.8 on the east coast.I had the reports four or five months ago when our numbers were that high. It is scary to think of what will happen if we do not curb the spread of the virus. I know we all have public and personal responsibility but we have to try to act in the best interests of the economy and, more importantly, public health. I will express the concerns of Senators and I will ask that Ministers consider regional as opposed to blanket reopening. However, I know that was not done in the past for good reasons. For example, there would be nothing to stop leaving County Meath and heading to County Westmeath if the pubs were open there. I do not mean that tritely. I take on board the concerns of Senators and I will convey them to the Ministers and ask them to revert to us.

The continuing job losses need to be addressed in the July stimulus package. We will have the package in the House for a debate next week. I look forward to having the Ministers for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Finance before the House to discuss the July stimulus package in the coming weeks.

Senator Byrne asked for leave to introduce his Bill, No. 3, before Nos. 1, 1aand 2. I am pleased to say that is not a problem. I will submit all the other requests for debates in writing and as soon as they are agreed, they will be placed on the Order Paper.