Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will not prolong the debate needlessly. I referred to all of our amendments in my earlier contribution.

The purpose of amendment No. 9 is fairly clear. I just want to touch on the point made by Senator Bacik on her amendment and the Minister's concluding statement on Second Stage about the jump from 20-odd countries on the list to 32. We are seeking, as we always do in this House, through our amendments to make this legislation as robust and as steadfast as it can be. We are not advocating a uniformity for the sake of it. We are doing it because, as we have said consistently, this is about suppressing the virus and keeping people safe. We have a divergence of opinion, however, on how best to do this. If these amendments were to be accepted, they would strengthen this legislation. Amendment No. 9 is clear in what it seeks to do and how it is laid out. I endorse what Senator Bacik said in the context of what we can do and what we should be doing in this scenario. It is not beyond us.

No one is looking to be overly repressive. We understand the delicacies involved. We have all come through the past year.I acknowledge and accept many more people out there have come through it with much more difficulty than I have. My family has been lucky, thank God. Many other families have not been so lucky. These amendments are worth reflecting on. They will serve this legislation and the Minister's work going forward. That is the intention behind them.