Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry that I will not have time to answer everyone's questions but I will come back on specific questions and I will try to cover some of the topics. I thank the Senators for the debate, which has certainly been worthwhile. There are ongoing negotiations through the various subcommittees, there will be the Cabinet today and tomorrow and we will also be dealing with NPHET. I will feed this in. I have sent the Tánaiste some of the messages that have come in already. I am sure the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, also has them. All of the concerns and questions raised will be fed in as was the debate in the House on Tuesday. It is worthwhile having this discussion and getting all this feedback. I am conscious many of the Senators have been in touch regularly with suggestions, feedback and ideas and they are all fed into the system as best as we possibly can.

I will identify some of the areas that were asked about, including enforcement and the Garda doing its job to support Government messaging, and it certainly has. The inspections led out by the HSA involve many other Departments. It has brought in an extra 700 inspectors and has carried out more than 20,000 inspections on following the back to work protocol. This is to give confidence in the system and that we are checking up, watching and working with businesses in all sectors, which are going to great lengths to protect their staff and customers.

Senator Higgins asked about planned testing, which is going on in nursing homes and the meat sector. Quite a high number of tests and inspections are carried out. Very positive results are coming back. The Senator is probably asking that we spread it out and it certainly is the plan. Now that we have testing capacity built up, and at one stage 140,000 tests were carried out in one week, we have the capacity to do many more tests and I certainly will bring it forward, as it makes sense. It is working well in the key areas that we had to focus on.

The message about green Friday and shopping locally backs up our campaign that was launched this week on looking to local. A very good message has been sent out and endorsed by everybody here with regard to shop local and green Friday. Earlier, I referenced the importance of working with our retail sector, as well as many other businesses that need our help for a few weeks.

Many Senators raised issue of business supports and I touched on many of these earlier. We have money set aside to continue these supports for next year in the recovery fund and to take on new ideas that are brought forward. The House brought forward some today and on other days. We will work with them and take them on board as best as we possibly can.

I understand the pressure of the hospitality sector, which was mentioned by many including restaurants, pubs and hotels. I cannot give the answer on what will happen tonight and tomorrow on that. Retail is another major area, as are gyms and leisure facilities for the kiddies and everybody else. Some of the adults also want to go go-karting and want to go to activity centres. Play centres and activity centres are a key area also. Hairdressing and barbers are essential, as we have been told by many people although I question that. I am only joking. There is a bit of work. We recognise the importance of all of these sectors and getting as many as possible reopened next week is the aim.

Senator Higgins spoke about level 5 coming earlier. There was an effort made not to have to go to level 5 and we really felt strongly that had level 3 worked, we would not have had to inflict level 5 on anybody. Nobody wanted it. The effort as we remove and reduce restrictions will be to try to make sure we do not have to go back to level 4, level 5 or anything like that in future. That message was reflected by everybody and most speeches mentioned following the advice and guidance. Governments and health authorities can set out advice, rules and regulations. We would rather there were not rules and regulations and laws but sometimes there have to be. The main message is to be aware of ourselves and our own behaviour. It is within our control and most people have stepped up to it. Not everyone accepts the necessity of it, and some are very worried, as Senator Higgins has said. Others do not care as much. We need everyone to work together over the weeks and months ahead to protect all of us and our society in order that we can reopen. Everybody must play their part for everybody else, even if people do not share the concerns but people should respect those concerns and that they could be a carrier and could pass it on. We must all play our part. This is what the advice and guidance will be, to reflect the debate here today. Everybody is asking for strong communication and clear messaging. That is the intention and the aim.

People are asking about the science behind particular sectors and areas and why sports, retail or business cannot open up. To be very clear, we understand the pressure for each individual sector. I meet many groups every day of the week in many retail business in other sectors and everyone can state it is not in their sector and it is a standard conversation. People say that it is not in their houses and it is not here and it is not there. We have to understand it is the movement of people and the contacts. That is what we are trying to limit. While some people might say the restrictions and advice did not make sense it was all about trying to restrict the movement of people and to limit close contacts. What will happen as we remove restrictions is there will be more contacts and we have to make sure they do not become close contacts. This is the effort we all have to work on over the weeks ahead as we try to reopen society for all of the reasons of the benefit to community, society, neighbours, friends and family. The importance of relationships and family was stressed. I stress the importance of business from my background and where I am coming from here today. They are all important and the key is to manage our own contacts and behaviour and follow the advice and guidance.

When people are shopping in the month of December, apart from going local, which is very important, people should work with that sector. People should help whatever business they go into to do their job. They have advice on the door and they have direction. They set out their stores and shops to mind us but we have to work with them. It is difficult for them. Compliments were given to the retail sector that it is very much on the front line along with all of the others who are front-line health services. We have to respect that they did their job for the past seven or eight months so we have to work with them and help them. That is an important message to give.

I would like to be able to answer all of the questions but I cannot. I will reflect. People mention churches, retail, hospitality, gyms, centres, restaurants, cafes and pubs and trying to get them reopened. We know now what is important to us as a community. Family and relationships are number one and that is what this was about. It is about trying to manage the virus to protect ourselves and our families. Next in importance are our local services and local shops and businesses, be they churches, gyms or whatever people like to do themselves. We want to be able to open up as much of these as we possibly can. Important in supporting all this is our economy and most people get that. It is about trying to get the balance right. That is what we will try to achieve tomorrow and the next day and in the weeks ahead.