Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not personalising the debate. I believe that the Opposition are being completely negligent in trying to say that we are personalising the debate and that we are trying to throw angry language and anxiety-inducing statements into the debate. We need to be responsible. People are anxious enough at the moment. We are putting in place very important legislation. Taking potshots at the Government to get likes on social media is not the position we need to be in at the moment. People are really suffering and we need to have a co-ordinated approach to this. People need to just come on board. Non-essential travel into Ireland is down to an absolute trickle. I live not far from Dublin Airport. I talk with workers in Dublin Airport on a regular basis. Inward travel is down to an absolute trickle. To suggest anything else on anybody's behalf is completely negligent. It is irresponsible because that is not what is happening. People are anxious and they do not need to be led astray by suggestions that floods of people are coming into the State on holidays and for God knows what else. That is not the case. The proportionate measures contained in the legislation are right and proper.There are 33 countries on that list and countries can be added or removed from the list if the situations in those countries improve. I mention the sunset clause. We will be back in here in three months and we can debate the merits or demerits of it at that stage. I know the Minister is open to improving anything in the system. His door has always been open and I have gone to his office with many concerns and queries, as I am sure other Members have in recent months. We need this legislation and we need it to be proportionate to the threat we are facing. It is going in line with all the other measures, including the roll-out of the vaccine schedule and the schools reopening. It is incumbent on us all to pull together for the last few months of this and to try to make sure we will be in a better position in a couple of months.