Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo what Senator Norris touched on earlier. A few of us in here have underlying issues. I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, and I have to travel from Donegal to Dublin. It is only evident that I am working when I am here and I fob in, but last week I attended loads of committee meetings and met the Minister for Education. However, none of that is on record. That is a discussion we need to have because we are also human beings. I am not above the law. I cannot come up and break the rules. I am staying at home and taking the advice of the doctors and I am encouraging the public to do the same, yet at the end of the year the record shows that I am not carrying out work. That is very unfair not only for me but for many Deputies and Senators. That is a conversation that needs to be had.

It was worth coming up from Donegal to speak to Members of the House. I was going to bring this point forward as a Commencement matter, but I did not have the time to raise it. We all know there is an outbreak of Covid-19 and, unfortunately, there is a rapid outbreak of Covid-19 within the Traveller community from Cork to Dublin to Sligo, and from Mayo to Galway. Last week, I dealt with numerous calls from people who do not have water to wash their hands, a safe place to self-isolate or clean water to drink. I also received a call from someone on a halting site who I am very close to, to say not only was there an outbreak of Covid-10 but there was also an outbreak of hepatitis A. People in this House are aware that hepatitis A is something we do not see in countries like Ireland but in developing countries. If we look at the sustainable development goals and how we treat citizens and young people, the Traveller community is treated like dirt. We say everybody is in this together. White, settled people are in it together, but the Traveller community is put aside. Unfortunately, I am seeing that reality. I am living with these people. This is my family. To a certain extent, they are just seen as dead Travellers, but so many people in our community are dying right now due to Covid-19. I understand people in all walks of life are dying.I call on the Minister for Health to support the Traveller community when it comes to clean sanitation. All we want are our basic human rights to be met, especially during the pandemic. I thank Safetynet for all its hard work on halting sites, in direct provision and with the homeless. I would appreciate if the Minister for Health would take action. It relates to accommodation and safety. This is a public health issue especially regarding hepatitis A.