Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We did it before anybody else and it worked very well. The Green Party started off with two councillors in 2014 and came back with six in 2019 so it did not have anything to fear from being in a governing arrangement. The other parties also did quite well and came back with a good number of councillors.

It is great to be here. I thank everybody for their support. It is not a day on which to raise too many issues but I do want to reflect on the fact that, over the last 13 months, many people have lost loved ones and have suffered illness during the pandemic. Friends of mine have lost parents and people I know have passed away with Covid. Many of them had underlying conditions but they were alive and with us and no longer are. I want to remember that.

On the other hand, I also acknowledge the very difficult times businesses have had, particularly those in the areas of aviation, hospitality and tourism as well as restaurants and pubs. I support the calls made by Senators Maria Byrne and Dooley for no distinction to be made between pubs that serve food and those that do not when they are allowed to reopen, which should be done as soon and as safely as possible. People should be allowed to enjoy company and being sociable in the open air and in a safe way. The last thing people want is to be reliant on the pandemic unemployment payment. They want to get back to work and back to doing what they do well. It is to be hoped that, sooner rather than later, we will all have our vaccines and be back working, albeit to a new normal. I hope those opportunities will be there.

Again, I thank every single person in these Houses who gave me support in the last few weeks. I apologise to all of those I rang and spoke to too often. I appreciate the support.