Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will also support the amendment to the legislation. The Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 was signed into law by the President on 11 September 2020. That date of September 11 - or 9-11 - struck me as somewhat ironic. This country and its people are being ruined and reduced to ground zero by the incompetence of this Government in managing the pandemic by means of effective policies. Untold damage is being done to the health and wealth of the people. Despite the Government advocating a living with Covid-19 approach, it is not allowing people to live. The living with Covid-19 plan is a lie and a fraud on the people. The Government has repeatedly singled out the hospitality sector to bear the brunt of restrictions without providing meaningful support to ensure businesses and jobs which were viable prior to the lockdown will remain so. The heavy-handed approach by Government in extending lockdown restrictions indefinitely and using the law to threaten people with harsh criminal sanctions must stop.It has not been proven to be proportionate or necessary. We are simply extending the suffering.

NPHET has claimed that infections were arising in pubs and restaurants. Can it produce solid empirical evidence and scientific data to support that claim? Can NPHET or the Minister of State provide data as to the number of hospitalisations, ICU admissions or deaths that have resulted from people making the choice to go to a bar or a restaurant of their own free will? Where is the evidence? Have we acquired any data from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, ECDC, on how other countries' bars and restaurants have remained open? Ironically, the ECDC headquarters is based in Sweden where they have genuinely chosen to live with Covid-19. There has been no evidence to date of the Garda imposing closure orders on any public house or restaurant under these powers so why would the Minister wish to extend this order?

I have addressed this House previously on the array of draconian emergency powers that have been introduced without any real debate or parliamentary scrutiny. The lack of debate is a real concern and an affront to the people and to the democratic process. These lockdown powers shut down people's lives and their ability to earn a living. The enforcement powers dangle the threat of criminal sanctions over their heads if they do not comply. This is done with the claim of protecting them from a grave and imminent threat to their health. The provisions in question are due to expire on 9 November 2020 and the motion before the House is to extend them until 9 June 2021. Where is there hope for this nation with these measures the Minister is taking today?

Our leadership in this country has the public's support with words like "we might have a vaccine" or "maybe we will have a vaccine in 2021" but words like "might" or "maybe" do not give hope for the restoration of our freedoms and liberties. Nor will those words put bread on the table of the millions of people these decisions affect. The words "might" and "maybe" will not affect the 1 million people who are on our hospital waiting lists.

I have opposed the extension of the sunset clause and other draconian emergency legislative powers of a penal nature. I believe the extension of this sunset clause until June 2021 is legislation that has not proven to be warranted and I will be supporting the amendment.