Senator Conway wishes to comment briefly.

Many people would argue that health food shops are necessary. The final word goes to Senator Horkan.

We will let the Minister answer that.

Amendment No. 64 is in order. Amendments Nos. 62 and 63 were ruled out of order. I think they started wandering.

Amendment No. 65 has been ruled out of order.

Amendment No. 68 in the name of Senator Higgins is out of order.

Amendments Nos. 69 and 70 in the names of Senators Ardagh, Clifford-Lee and Horkan are out of order.

I will allow each group one minute to say farewell and comment on this Bill.

Well it has been requested by a couple of Members.

That is the third time today the Senator has made that point.

I am making a ruling now. I was being lenient allowing one from each group but then people started emerging. Next thing, I will have a full House and everybody will want to speak. Anybody who is in the House has one minute and then I am closing the door.

I wish Senators Humphreys and Lawlor, who are not running again, the best of luck in their private lives. I am sure there is life outside politics. I wish those who are running every success next week. I ask the Minister, his colleagues and the caretaker Government to keep up the good work. There are many difficult decisions to be made. I convey my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and relations of those who have died because of this terrible disease. I wish everyone well who is currently in intensive car…

Dáil Éireann passed the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020 on 19 March 2020, to which the agreement of Seanad Éireann is desired.

Before we proceed, I would like to say a few brief words. I welcome Senators to this special sitting, which I summoned using the authority given to me by Standing Orders in cases of necessity, having received a request to do so from the Taoiseach. Our country is in the midst of perhaps the most serious public health-economic crisis in living memory. As parliamentarians, we are called on to provide the leadership, legislation and means that will allow our health service workers, the Garda Síochána and our civil and …

I remind Members that there will be a full debate when the Bill is being debated. I do not want people to spend too long giving elaborate speeches at the outset. I am not trying to cut the Senator short but I remind her that there will be ample time for debating the substantive issues before us today.

We are on the Order of Business. I usually give each Member two minutes, not five. I must be fair to everyone. This is just the Order of Business. The substantive debate on the Bill will follow and there will be plenty of time for debate.

It is some time since we sat and perhaps we are familiarising ourselves with procedures once again, including myself. However, I remind Senators that we are on the Order of Business.

On the significance of the Senate, when I was in the House yesterday a number of journalists questioned me on what would happen on this day two weeks. Forty-nine new Members will be elected on Friday, this day two weeks exactly. I was asked about the constitutional issues that might arise if there is not a functioning Senate and if the Dáil could pass legislation. I feel certain from my legal knowledge it cannot do so without the second leg of the Parliament, that being the Seanad. Sin scéal eile. As no one is offe…

Group spokespersons have a maximum of eight minutes and all other Senators five minutes. When no other Senators are offering I will call the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to conclude. I welcome the Minister to the Chamber on this extraordinary day for this special sitting and ask him to make his contribution.

There are four remaining speakers. They are, in order, Senators Conway, Marshall, Buttimer and Lawlor.