Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 96, motion 3, be taken before No. a1. I am pleased we are moving forward with the reopening in recognition of the reality of the state of play with regard to Covid and I look forward to the full relaxing of restrictions as soon as possible. As much as we can enjoy ourselves now, we must not forget what still needs to be done, both in moving forward and in assessing what is now in our past. A full inquiry into the effectiveness, the necessity and the scope of each Government restriction put in place to combat Covid must be carried out and begun no later than this year.

The Covid certificate, which has been discontinued for domestic use, leaves behind it a massive haul of personal data. The public needs to be told exactly what data is being held by the Government and how it is going to be held, processed or deleted in the near future. The same request must be made at the EU level. On the retirement of the certificate as a prerequisite for international travel, what will happen to the data in Brussels? We need certainty on this. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, to come to the House to make a statement on the matter.

Not all to do with the pandemic response was an imposition. The move towards outdoor dining last summer brought with it great developments to the atmosphere in our towns and villages. As we come out of the winter months, I would like to see the regulations allowing restaurants and bars to continue to operate these outdoor spaces extended indefinitely. Many owners put a lot of money into these spaces, as did the Government, in order for them to be able to trade in accordance with the Government restrictions. The least we can do is allow these spaces to continue to exist into the summer and beyond. Perhaps we could ask the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to update us on the extension of this provision.

In the same vein of helping hospitality, I am sure no one in this Chamber has been a stranger to passport requests over the past two years. Much of this arose from the closure of the Passport Office for a time over the course of the pandemic. I do not think that should have happened, given the essential nature of the service, but it did, and we are still working through the fallout.

I was contacted by a number of individuals who have been in the hospitality industry for years. They told me hoteliers are tearing out their hair over the delays in processing visas for skilled industry workers, particularly chefs. Backlogs have been experienced since last June regarding visa decisions for young chefs from outside the EU. It is causing real difficulty in the industry, an industry we should be doing all we can to help.

I ask the Leader to check with the Ministers to see what can be done in regard to these issues and perhaps ask each of them to come before the House to make a statement.