Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I, too, would like to be associated with the comments that were made on the retirement of our colleague Mr. Christy Kelly. He gave great service here for four decades and was always fantastic to deal with. He is very amenable and very accommodating, which is not easy at times. I wish himself and his wife Paula all the very best.

We have been very successful in this country with our vaccination programme. Ireland has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world with nearly 95% of our population vaccinated. This is a marvellous achievement. It is a reflection on how seriously the people of Ireland take Covid and the challenges and threats caused by the pandemic. I do not believe, however, that we are using to its optimum the vaccination infrastructure we have built. The Covid-19 certificate should be used far more widely. I cannot understand why it is not required for access to gyms, hairdressers, hotels and events that take place throughout the country. The use of the Covid-19 certificate needs to be extended. It is appropriate that it would be extended because it is a very effective way of protecting public health. I cannot understand why a person can go into hairdressers, for example, without showing a Covid-19 certificate, given that he or she spends so long in the company of the hairdresser. I cannot understand why the Covid-19 cert is not used in gyms. I cannot for the life of me understand why it is not required in hotels, or at least when using the facilities in hotels such as bars, restaurants and gyms. I want to see the Government coming out in the next few days with a measure for the increased use of the Covid-19 certificate, a certificate 95% of Irish people have bought into. Such a measure will absolutely help to prevent the spread of Covid and it will be a very important public health measure.

We have seen stories about nightclubs in Dublin opening at 6 p.m. until 12 midnight, which is a method to get around the restrictions. The Government did not close the nightclubs. In my view, the Government should have closed the nightclubs. The Government should never have reopened the nightclubs. Be it as it is, the problem now is that the nightclubs in rural Ireland are being discriminated against. It is totally unrealistic for a nightclub in west Clare or other parts of rural Ireland to open at 6 p.m. until 12 midnight. They must continue to pay their insurance and continue to pay their fixed costs whereas if the Government had closed the nightclubs, they would have some chance of dealing with their insurance and other fixed costs.

In the absence of the Government doing the right thing by nightclubs and by the people who work in nightclubs, I would like the Minister of State with responsibility for insurance, Deputy Sean Fleming, to come before the House to explain how he will deal with this. I am told by clubs around the country that they are not getting a waiver on their insurance because the Government has not closed them. I look forward to the Leader's response on these important issues.