Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for clarifying the matter I raised earlier and I appreciate that. I assure the Cathaoirleach he will hear no further remarks from me on it. I appreciate the job he has and it is not an easy one. I do not mean anything personal by it at all.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly raised an important issue this morning on the report of the Dublin Well Woman Centre research that was published today. It is a startling reminder of the misunderstandings and misconceptions around contraception among women and it is something we need to urgently have a debate on in the House, particularly given the debate we are having today and the importance of the work that is being done by so many in this House. I agree with Senator Pauline O'Reilly that the issue of sex education is one we need to prioritise.

I also ask that we would have a debate on health. We are told there is no shortage of the flu vaccine and we are told there is a shortage. Senator Dolan raised an important point about young children not being brought to take the vaccine and then we got an email yesterday from the Houses of the Oireachtas telling us we cannot get the flu vaccine but that we will get a contribution towards it if we need to because there is no availability. Yet Colm Henry, a lead person in the HSE, was on the radio at the weekend telling us there was no problem at all.Let us have a real debate on health in the country and let us have it here in this House.

I welcome the Leader's commitment to the debate on the reopening of the country on 1 December. The Government cannot govern by Twitter or social media. Social media was not built for government. Government is about leadership from Ministers charged with the responsibility of governing. We are having a belated debate next Thursday and the reopening of the country is being announced on Thursday night because we cannot compete with "The Late Late Toy Show". In all fairness, if that is what we are reduced to, then God help us.