I have no doubt money is being spent. The Government is throwing money around like confetti. Our borrowings are entirely unsustainable. However, it is not having an impact. The Taoiseach said 296 critical care beds; Dr. Colm Henry, the chief clinical officer of the HSE, said 289 last week. Either way, it is a long way short of the number promised by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. In addition, we provide 6% of our budget to mental health. I suggested mental health was suffering because of Covid an…

In response to the crisis in the aviation sector generally, and Shannon Airport in particular, many of the Ministers, and indeed backbenchers, said that the digital green pass would be the panacea. I have the regulation introducing it. It came into effect on 1 July. The State does not have six weeks to begin implementing it; it has six weeks to implement it completely. Crucially, as of 1 July, the State must issue certificates to people who have been vaccinated, who have recovered or who have been tested, not in th…

He signed a statutory instrument on 4 July-----

Does the Taoiseach know what he is doing?

The Minister for Health-----

But he is telling fibs-----

The Minister for Health-----

-----signed a regulation making it unlawful to travel-----

-----for non-essential reasons until 19 July, in contravention of this.

But it is not 19 July. This came into force on 1 July.

I have a similar case, the details of which I will pass on to the Tánaiste. NPHET modelling is based on the assumption that vaccination will reduce but not prevent transmission of Covid-19. That is borne out by data from Public Health England. The bottom line is that even if - and it is a big if - the vaccination targets are met, Covid-19 variants, and perhaps new variants of it, will still be in circulation and still being transmitted next winter. Last February and March, an expert group on the role of ventilation…

I do not know whether the Tánaiste has ever been in Miltown Malbay or Tulla when the raining is coming in sideways. What is the Government going to do to plan for this?

I commend the Minister in general on this Bill and the intention behind it. I do not accept that we could have worked away and asked gardaí to exercise their discretion, particularly when we penalise gardaí when they do exercise their discretion. We cannot ask them not to apply the law in the manner that was proposed by some. I have no problem with the intention behind the Bill. There is a provision relating to the appointment of extra High Court judges. While it does not necessarily fit well within this Bill, I do…

I listened carefully to the Minister of State's reply. She is of course correct that the definitions provide a definition for an outdoor seating area of a licensed premises. However, section 6 does not apply the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to outdoor seating areas of a licensed premises. It extends that Act to just "an outdoor seating area". I think I was clear the first time but if not, is it the intention of the Minister of State that the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 now applies to all ou…

In response to my question the Minister of State told me that an outdoor seating area is one that is on private lands abutting the premises. I know that. I can read. An outdoor seating area in relation to a licensed premises is defined in the definition. I do not need to be told what the definition is; I have read it. It is defined in the definition. I have no problem with the definition, unlike some Deputies. I also have no problem with the fact that they have problem with it. My problem is with section 6 which re…

I hope this is the last week we will sit in this Chamber wasting taxpayers' money. We are told it is on public health advice, yet we will sit in Leinster House on Friday. Whoever is providing the health advice is providing health advice that is as riddled with inconsistencies as the NPHET advice is on how to deal with Covid-19. I hope the Ceann Comhairle, as the Speaker and as a constitutional officer, will give a commitment that we are not going to waste any more taxpayers' money by sitting in this obscene buildin…

Jobs for cronies.

We have wasted €17 million.

Is it over?

Then why are we in Leinster House on Friday?