Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Higgins, I had the privilege of being a Member of the Twenty-fifth Seanad and discussing the legislation. Not in our wildest nightmares did we think that we would still be here still discussing it and extending sunset clauses. I am on the record as saying that the legislation was draconian at the time, and it is still. No one is happy that our lives are being micromanaged at a very personal level and so many of us are being effected but no one is happy that the coronavirus is taking over all our lives, all over the world and we do not know where it will go. At one stage last summer we thought it was under control but we never thought we would be in a fourth wave. With the emergence of new variants and a serious surge in Limerick, we do not know where we will be in a few months. It is with reluctance that Fianna Fáil is supporting the legislation and the extension of the sunset clause. The Minister should take on board Members' remarks about returning to the House and letting us have some sort of input into ways the legislation might be improved. We have such great talent in the House, it would be remiss not to take the contributions on board.

I congratulate the Minister on his vaccination programme. It hit the 300,000 mark last week. I do not think we ever thought we would get to that. My mother, the person for whom I had most concern, has been vaccinated and I am glad she has received her second vaccination. We hear of more and more people getting vaccinated. It is wonderful and the programme seems to be working. Saying that, there is more the Minister can do in his position. Earlier, I said that we need to look more seriously at rolling out antigen testing.On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a proposal on the use of the digital green certificate. Antigen testing is central to the roll-out of that. As the Minister will be aware, however, some officials in the Department and the HSE are reluctant to go with antigen testing. We all know it is not a silver bullet and that it is only 50% effective, but when the rest of Europe is happy to get on board with antigen testing and use it as an efficient too, it is not good enough that we are not doing likewise.

We read in the newspapers at the weekend about the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contacting the HSE with regard to rolling out antigen testing at meat factories. Over the course of four months, the Department has tried to persuade the HSE to facilitate antigen testing but it has never happened. The HSE has never given a proper response as to why it is so reluctant in this regard. Pilots are outside the gates of Leinster House today seeking the rapid roll-out of antigen testing, which is something I support.

I am curious to hear the Minister's take on antigen testing. Is he, along with his colleagues in Cabinet, committed to the digital green certificate initiative? What dialogue has he had with his counterpart in the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure this issue will be meaningfully examined? We are all aware of the draconian powers before the House but, as my colleague stated, we want to be ambitious and to hope for the future. Part of that hope is about foreign holidays and having a few days in the sun. People want to be cautious, however, and antigen testing plays an important role in that.

So many of our elderly, including my mother, were so rigid in following the guidelines and stayed at home for the entire period. Many are still reluctant to leave the house despite having been vaccinated. As a State, we need to do something to thank our elderly for looking after themselves. Perhaps there could be an initiative within the Minister's Department to let them know it is safe to be out and about. I have spoken to people who are so down and do not see a future. It is really upsetting to hear. We need to thank our elderly and give them something back, although I do not know how that could be done. Perhaps a survey could be done on how we could give back to those who looked after us in the past.