Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Buttimer for sharing time and compliment him on his speech. It is important legislation and we just need to progress with it. It is not perfect legislation but it gives the opportunity for our society to open up in a safe and practical way. That is the most important thing: safe and practical. In my part of the world, in west Cork, we will have thousands of visitors coming to us in the next few weeks. We need to have a safe model that will protect our communities and societies. This model is not perfect but it is the safest model that is there. That is why this legislation needs to be passed today and enacted as soon as possible. We will lose another weekend if it is not passed in the next few hours. It is important society reopens slowly but surely. It is a positive step and far from perfect but talking down this legislation with populist talk, nothing more or less, for some kind of political goal is sad and a poor reflection of politics. We need leadership here. What we really do not need is the populist jargon we have unfortunately heard in the past few days.