Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I was struck while reading this Bill by how, in such a short space of time and with the Government willing to tackle a crisis, compressive - albeit flawed, as Senator McDowell pointed out - and far-reaching legislation can be written, printed, amended, debated and passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas. While I agree the health crisis is of major national importance and is arguably one of the most importance issues facing both Houses today, I find myself wondering how effective this Government could be in tackling other crises facing society if it showed as much willingness to find solutions to issues such as evictions, homelessness, the lack of prosecution of domestic abusers and the seemingly eternal inability to curb Ireland's CO2 emissions.

There is an innate hypocrisy in the Government's response to this crisis. One example is housing and homelessness. When the Government wants to ban large gatherings in a short period of time on the grounds of health and safety, it can implement a fines system and give the Garda new authority to enforce it. However, parties - not house parties but political parties, which are much less craic - especially Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, seem to have struggled for the last five years with the largest public health problem pre-Covid, namely, housing and homelessness. I need not go through the negative impacts of homelessness. Being homeless is bad for physical, mental and material health. Rough sleepers see their health deteriorate at a rapid rate while living on the streets. Children living in hotel rooms experience more childhood injuries than those with access to outdoor space. We all know the impact of homelessness. It is, therefore, incredible to think that only today we passed the much-needed Residential Tenancies Bill but the Bill only allows for a ban on evictions during level 5, with a further grace period of ten days. How can we amend the Health Act to provide for far-reaching regulations and restrictions to our civil liberties extending to next June, that is, seven months, yet we will only extend the eviction ban for the duration of level 5? That does not make sense. Surely when we say we must bring in these drastic restrictions to try to stem the spread of Covid-19, we should also ensure that not one more person will become homeless during the same period. I do not understand the reasoning. If only the Government would respond with such speed, support and strong action to any other life-threatening societal woe that it does to Covid-19.

I will raise for what feels like the hundredth time since being elected to the 26th Seanad my annoyance and anger at how this Government treats the Opposition. We may as well have empty seats on this side of the House for all that the Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael care for parliamentary process. The disrespect shown to elected representatives of the Dáil and Seanad by ramming Bill after Bill through the Houses and allowing no meaningful debate is disgraceful. To print Bills 48 hours before we are expected to read and propose amendments to them is disgraceful. It is an authoritarian attitude which looks down on process, debate and opposition and deprives the public of proper scrutiny of legislation being brought forward by the Government.

I remind other Members that the purpose of the Seanad is to scrutinise legislation as it passes through the House. There are people here representing a variety of areas, constituencies and civil society groups but the one thing we are all supposed to do when we trot through the door and leave our representative group behind us is scrutinise legislation. To hurtle through legislation at breakneck speed is bonkers. It cannot be good for democracy or for ensuring robust legislation and fair and equitable laws. It is not good for maintaining the goodwill of this side of the House and our willingness to co-operate. We want to work with the Government to serve the people of Ireland. We want to scrutinise legislation. We want to offer constructive opposition but the Government is making than an extraordinarily difficult job.

My sense is that, as has been the way since we were elected to the Seanad, but especially in the past few days, the Minister will refuse outright to accept any amendments put down by the Opposition and we, on this side of the House, will valiantly try to engage and legislate effectively as we were elected to do. We recognise we are in extraordinary times and these call for extraordinary measures but they do not call for an extraordinary abandonment of the legislative process. Without debate, there can be no democracy and the behaviour of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party in both Houses in the past while tells me that the Government parties are happy to do without any debate in order to see through their legislation. What does this say about democracy in Ireland today?

We will support some of the amendments and we recognise the extraordinary need for this legislation at this extraordinary time.We are extraordinarily fed up, disappointed, annoyed and teed off at the fact that everything is being rammed through, one day after another, and we have no time to engage in the legislative process for which we were elected. It is unacceptable to the people who elected us, to democracy and to the people we are supposed to ensure we have robust and fair legislation.