Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages
Dail Éireann — 2020-09-03
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Catherine Murphy (SD), Kildare North

I ask the Minister to facilitate, on or before 9 November, a debate on this matter or what mechanism is envisaged in terms of the sunset clause.
With regard to sentiment, as I stated earlier, one of the things we need in all of this is hope. People need to feel that they are being listened to. They need to feel that the Government is charting how we live with this virus and will bring people with it. There is much validity in the criticisms that were made in the House yesterday and that have been made today with regard to the Bill being a case of warning people that if they do not do certain things, these will be the consequences. If a person has a house party or does not wear a mask, the State will take action. That kind of messaging does not appeal to people's better nature. Rather, it erodes hope. It is very valid to ask what kind of society we will have at the end of this. In many ways, it is like the valley of the squinting windows. That attitude is being encouraged. We need to stop and think about exactly what damage is being done in addition to Covid.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2020-09-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:48:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2020-09-03