Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. It has been absolutely extraordinary to listen to the lectures from people. There has been an honesty to the debate from the Government side. Not one of us, including the Minister, want to be here with this legislation. None of us do. However, there is a fundamental line at which many people, particularly Senator Keogan, have not looked. On the first page of the Bill, the phrase "having regard to the manifest and grave risk to human life and public health" is used. We, as legislators, are charged with the duty of passing legislation. To be fair to Senator Warfield, there is merit to what he is suggesting regarding young people and antigen testing. The Joint Committee on Transport and Communications has made the case for antigen testing for a long time.

The fundamental point is that we are passing legislation to reopen indoor hospitality and dining. There are conditions attached. If you talk honestly to the people who work in the hospitality sector at every level, they want us to pass legislation to allow them to reopen. That is what they want. However, we must not fail to learn from what has happened around the world. Senator Malcolm Byrne referred to what has happened in Australia and New Zealand. There has been a surge in cases in 49 states in America. I heard what Paul Reid said on "Morning Ireland" earlier. I challenge everyone to go back and listen to what he said in the context of the number of young people who are being admitted to hospital. Each of us knows people who have had Covid. Unfortunately, we also know of people who died from Covid. None of us ever wants to go back to the dark days of Covid at the beginning of last year and this year.Will I share time with Senator Lombard?