I listen to the truth.

I am. It is the truth I want.

I supported the measures at the outset. We all did.

The Minister continues to mislead the House.

He continues to mislead the House.

What the Minister is saying is factually incorrect.

I am able to take it.

I ask the Minister to have the record straight.

I am well able to take it, but I want the truth. The Minister does not know what the truth is.

To correct the record, when this pandemic commenced, we were all, as Opposition leaders, summoned to Government Buildings. The record will prove that there was unanimity on all sides of this House - among independents and everybody else. We in the Rural Independent Group put our shoulders firmly to the wheel and accepted the public health advice. We did everything we were asked to do. Of course we did. That was until we found out that there was an unaccountable body, NPHET, many other agencies and the previous Mini…

I am, but I have to reply because the Minister explicitly replied to all the amendments and all of our statements. He accused me, wrongly, of not supporting any of the public health measures. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows this. She is on record here countless times saying that we all supported the measures. However, when the runaway train forgot to stop and when the doors of the carriages were locked, nobody could get on. There was demonisation of people who, for whatever reason, medical or otherwise, could not t…

It did.

Go raibh maith agat a Cheann Comhairle. I thank you for your fíor-fháilte. I am glad to see you are back in full swing as well. This evening, we are once more in a situation where restrictions are being rolled out. They have been drip-fed to us all week which has put businesses into disarray. People are contacting the offices of all politicians about the cancellations and the uncertainty. I am not talking only about hospitality but about boutiques, shops and clothes shops. People were spending a little for Christma…

What about HIQA? What is HIQA saying?

Why are we not briefed on Covid?

We have been preached at for 13 months.

There are no briefings.

I join in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's most fitting tribute to the late Tom Burke. Fear uasal ab ea é. I received an email from a family in Tipperary who have been in business for 60 years. The Tánaiste has often frequented the place. It cannot get staff. We saw what Boris Johnson did across the pond in getting 10,000 work permits issued and bringing in the army. This business started the process last February. It advertised in May and got people from India. It was assured by the Tánaiste a month ago that it would h…

The fanfare and dust has settled in Páirc Uí Chaoimh after the re-hash of the NDP. The Government picked a suitable venue to kick the ball around the place and kick it over and back between different parties and party leaders. The people of Tipperary Town are extremely disappointed. Jobs4Tipp, March4Tipp, County Tipperary Chamber and Councillor Anne Marie Ryan, and many others, are devastated the bypass for Tipperary town, on which the Taoiseach glibly answered me here last week, was ignored completely. There was n…

On a Honda 50.