Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairperson. I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and thank him for the work he has been doing for the past year, particularly in recent weeks. The number of people being vaccinated is phenomenal. If truth be told, six months ago no one would have thought that would be possible. If Members from all parties were to be honest, I do not think we would have ever fully believed the HSE could get 3,000 people vaccinated a week. What is being done is phenomenal.In my community, Tipperary, I note how excited people are after getting fully vaccinated and the freedom they feel on the back of it. I commend the Minister on that.

As most Members said, no one welcomes this Bill. It is necessary. Many referred to the extension of the date but no one envisages that the measures will have to be used in the period in question. They will be used only if necessary. With this virus, we do not know where we will be any time soon. We should bear that in mind. The virus tears up all our plans every time so having some sort of certainty in this Bill is probably the right thing to do, even though it is impossible to welcome it.

As others said, there are so many sectors under major pressure. I encourage the Minister to examine the aviation sector as a whole. The antigen testing route is a genuine game changer for the industry. It needs to be taken to give people options to open up the industry and travel. It would make a big difference if we could achieve this, including in respect of Aer Lingus, its routes and challenges. We heard last week what happened regarding routes from Shannon and Cork. The routes are exceedingly important and we do not want to lose them. It is not Aer Lingus which controls the routes; it is International Airlines Group, IAG. We have 23 routes that are very valuable and we do not want to lose them.

I wish to raise a local, but important, issue concerning the maternity ward in my local hospital, Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel. It is still one of a small number of hospitals that are not adhering to the recommendations and guidance of the Minister on partners. The hospital's view is based on a very short timeframe for labour. If my wife were asked about this, she would say labour lasted from the minute she walked into the hospital, or lasted for 36 or 37 hours. It is devastating for partners that they cannot go in. When other hospitals are allowing it, it is really frustrating that the hospital in Clonmel is not. I call on the hospital to relax its measures in line with what other hospitals are doing. I would appreciate it if the Minister could comment on that.