Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Sir David Amess MP, who I had reason to meet a number of times. He was also an alternate on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, as I was in the last term. What happened to him last Friday was truly shocking. I wish to place on the record my condolences, which I extend to his friends and family. I appreciate the fact that the Ceann Comhairle, on behalf of Members, has arranged a mass to be said for him on Thursday.

I wish to continue on from Senator Craughwell's reference to the Leader's comments, which were, I think, my fault to a certain extent, because the Leader was responding by email to me at the time on the issue of vaccines. As a result, a certain cohort of people replied to all of us about what the Leader said. This is really important, particularly in the context of yesterday. After all, yesterday should have been a really good day. While progress was made yesterday in terms of the relaxing of some restrictions, at the same time we had the largest number of cases in a single day since January. There is no doubt that those who are choosing, for whatever reason, to not be vaccinated are contributing very significantly to the number of cases. Equally, as the Leader rightly pointed out last week, the same is the case in respect of the 70,000 people who got one dose of vaccine - they are clearly not that vaccine hesitant - and who decided not to get a second. It is most important. For those in the hospitality sector, there was certainly a gap between what they expected to happen yesterday and what did happen. There is an enormous amount of confusion and palpable frustration among those individuals regarding the fact that you can do things with a late licence that you cannot do without a late licence and you can do things in nightclubs that you cannot do in bars and various other venues. There is a very frustrating inconsistency in that regard.

There is no doubt that the Government supported the hospitality sector through the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, and the implementation of digital Covid certificates, but, equally, there were a huge number of anomalies in the context of yesterday's announcement. I encourage the Leader to organise a debate, if possible before the recess, with the Minister for Health. Sláintecare was discussed yesterday. Sláintecare is a long-term plan. This is urgent. We need to talk about the inconsistencies and try to support the hospitality sector as best we can.