If the State was not faced with the threat it now faces from the Covid-19 virus, we might well be sitting in this Chamber arguing about how to commemorate the War of Independence. Let this time be our answer. Let how we treat the vulnerable and most at risk in our society be a tribute to those who believed we needed an Irish state and that this Irish state would protect its citizens and everybody who lived here, and would do so regardless of their wealth or their ability to pay for it. I commend the Tánaiste, the T…

Is there a particular reason we could not discuss all the others during the afternoon?

The sitting was suspended for three hours. We could have been discussing other amendments.

I will pick up on what was said by Deputy Boyd Barrett. There are draconian provisions within this Bill, particularly regarding civil liberties and the rights to assembly and liberty. I am disappointed that the Minister seems not to have accepted the amendment that, instead of it being "appropriate" to detain somebody, it must be "necessary". We talk about many of these measures being necessary and accept that laws are necessary but to detain somebody when it is deemed appropriate is a loose standard. Surely, at th…

That is all the more reason to address it.

We asked people to come back to this House. We are saying we do not have the power to requisition equipment to protect them. This equipment is being manufactured in Ireland.

And on "necessary detentions"?

That is why I am asking.

I will come back to the dates. The Minister is happy the social welfare provisions will continue until 9 May and thereafter can be rolled over by the Government. Everybody is happy with that. What is so wrong with this House having the power to determine whether it is necessary to detain somebody when an ill-defined person deems it merely "appropriate"? Some official somewhere could deem it appropriate. I agree powers are necessary but it is Kafkaesque to think somebody somewhere would think it "appropriate" for a …

I thank Deputies Collins and Connolly for sharing time. An outbreak of Covid-19 or coronavirus in County Clare became public knowledge across the county today. Obviously, people are very concerned and afraid. I want to pay tribute to one group of people in particular, those who work in the ambulance service. As we speak, people are being contacted and the ambulance service is travelling out and swabbing and testing people for Covid-19. In a way, I am very humbled by that, when we compare how seriously they take the…

I thank the people of Clare who voted for me. I also thank the people of Clare who did not vote for me, but did vote. I especially thank the people of Clare who opened their doors and listened. It is the third general election I have fought and it is the one in which more people did not open their doors, not to me but to canvassers. They knew there was a canvasser outside the door and did not want to hear about it. That is a worrying development for every Member of this House and for democracy. It is one we all mus…