There is no set amount. The bottom line here is that we either want a vaccine in the middle of a global pandemic or we do not. Now, get real. This is unprecedented in terms of the progress around getting this vaccine done and without pre-purchase agreements, it simply could not and would not have happened. The bottom line-----

This was very clear from the outset to those following the European debate on this. The European Commission, on behalf of the member states, entered into pre-purchase agreements with companies with a view to getting vaccines to deal with a virus that is crippling economies all over the world. If one looks at the trillions of euro that have been spent globally on trying to save economies, keep jobs-----

The balance is correct in this context. It is the right balance.

I remind the Deputy that this virus kills people. Some 3,000 people on the island of Ireland have died as a result of this virus and many more have suffered long-term health impacts. That is the Government's only motivation in doing what it is doing.

It is wrong of the Deputy to play politics with this issue and to ask rhetorically what I have against pubs. I have absolutely nothing against pubs.

The Deputy should not be so silly, for God's sake. This is too serious an issue-----

-----to reduce it to that. It is too serious an issue because lives are at stake.

The measure was enacted for the benefit of the public health.

Evidence has been gathered which, unfortunately, has connected pubs to the spread of the virus in certain local electoral areas.

It is all documented. No one would love to have the pubs open more than I would because they are a vital part of economic life across the country. That has to be said. This sort of divisiveness does not help our overall effort to deal with the crisis. That is why we have provided unprecedented supports to pubs to help them through what I accept is a very difficult and challenging time for them. It is a very difficult time for publicans.

The situation in nursing homes is heart-rending and very difficult. This was presented well last night by RTÉ's "Prime Time", which assessed the situation. From a humane point of view, this is very difficult and sad for residents and their families. It is heartbreaking to see the individual stories of wives who are not able to meet their husbands and vice versa . We have to take strong advice on this issue because the other side of the story is that nursing home residents bore the brunt of the first phase of Covid.…

As Minister for Health and Children, I established SouthDoc. I remember receiving a very colourful letter from the late Deputy, Jackie Healy-Rae, who was also an advocate for the service at the time. All of its facilities have made a very significant contribution. I will pursue the issue of the SouthDoc facility on the north side of the city with the HSE. I will ascertain the rationale for the decision and see if we can make progress on the issue.

I understand the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, has initiated an inquiry into the sodium valproate issue. I will talk to him about the timelines, which I am sure will be published in due course.

I will check that out with the HSE and see what the story is.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland administers this retention fee on an ongoing basis. This issue has not been brought before Government.

Government has provided unprecedented resources targeted at improving services across the health sector and at improving the working environment and working conditions of nurses. The impact of the winter initiative can be seen so far in terms of the better flow through hospitals in emergency departments and so on. That said, I will talk to the Minister for Health on this but there is a range of registration bodies in health which register a range of professionals across the health area. The Government focus today h…

Again, I have to say that I am not anti-rural, anti-village or anti-pub. There is nothing I would like better right now than a pint in some rural pub in an idyllic village in the west of Ireland - I can assure the Deputies of that.

That is not something I will be able to participate in for some time yet. That is not the fault of Government. It is not the fault of anyone. It is the fault of a virus, a global pandemic. The ultimate objective of Government is to protect human lives and to protect those most vulnerable in our society. We have to make judgment calls. We have to make calls based on evidence. We have published the evidence. The evidence is available and we can look at it from August into September and right into October. Unfortunate…

I have said repeatedly that I accept their goodwill in terms of their efforts to implement the guidelines. However, we need to consider the reality of what happened in many locations. One only has to look at the index going up in terms of the number of cases in certain areas after events combined with the opening of the wet pubs in my city. This is not only in rural Ireland.

It is also in cities. In Galway and Cork, for example, there was a significant increase at a given period as well as in rural areas. The evidence, unfortunately, is there for that. The bottom line is that we could have taken a decision to open the pubs, but we would have done it clearly in the knowledge that we would have been contributing to an exponential rise in numbers fairly quickly. That is the issue, basically. Unfortunately, that is the issue. It is a genuine desire to try to save lives. People should not t…