I thank all Members who contributed to the debate. I also thank the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, for being here. It is clear that the message that will go out from this Chamber is that we are united in our approach to Brexit and the outcome that we believe to be in the best interests of all citizens on this island. It is rare in politics to find an issue that unites all parties. This is one of those issues. There has never been any wavering by any party in this State in terms of t…

I agree to the Order of Business as proposed by the Leader, but I do want to raise some issues. We need to discuss the very real prospect that Dublin will now face increased restrictions. This House should acknowledge, and on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group I acknowledge, the severe implications that these increased restrictions will have for businesses and livelihoods and on citizens living in the city centre and beyond. I know these recommendations were not made lightly, and I am sure that a Cabinet decision to i…

France and Germany have provided some help, but we are also a member of the European Union, and either we are in the club and in the community or we are not.

Regarding turning a blind eye to the situation, I have seen some commentary online to the effect that we need to look after our own first. My response to such comments is let us do both. A message should issue from this House that we are willing, with arms open, to take in those children immediately. I want the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy O'Gorman, to listen to this message and I hope he hears it loud and clear.

I support the Order of Business and will reserve my comments on the substance of the Bill until the discussion later. I wish to put on the record of the House that there was an attempt by the Government to have the Seanad sit yesterday and to have a longer sitting today to accommodate the Minister for Education and Skills yesterday and the Minister with responsibility for higher education today-----

-----but the Opposition was not forthcoming in agreeing to that and also-----

If I might finish-----

I am still on my feet and I would like to finish, if that is possible.

Surely I am entitled to finish what I am saying.

Out of respect to other Members, if somebody is on his or her feet-----

Of course one can, but I should be allowed to finish.

With regard to the Order of Business, some Members of the House have expressed dissatisfaction that all Stages of the Bill are being taken today. If we had been facilitated in sitting yesterday and in having two sitting days, and to have the Ministers with responsibility for education and higher education before the House, we would not have had to take all Stages today. We were trying to accommodate those views and the Opposition-----

If we had sat yesterday, we would have avoided that.

Some Members of the House were not willing to accommodate that, and they were not on this side. It is important that information is put on the record today.

We tried our best, but that was not forthcoming on the other side of the House.

Can I reply to the last speaker?

We had an agreement from the Minister to attend yesterday, but we could not facilitate it because we had nowhere to sit and we could not get agreement to sit without votes. That is accurate.

On a point of order, a Chathaoirligh, I ask that the comment that my remarks were inaccurate be withdrawn from the record.

If that was the Senators' interpretation of what I said that is not my issue. What I said was completely accurate, as has been confirmed by the Cathaoirleach of this House. I never suggested it was Senator Higgins. I said that we could not reach agreement. That is 100% accurate. It needed no clarification.

I thank Senator Gallagher for sharing time. I read with interest Sarah McInerney's article in The Sunday Times last Sunday, and I agree with the sentiments in the article. We have been talking about the reopening of pubs too much given that there are other, more pertinent, issues for the country to deal with, such as the reopening of the schools, the safety of children, the increasing death toll from the pandemic and many other pressing issues. However, we must deal with it. Some of the publicans I have spoken to i…