We had a vote on them. Gardaí have to take operational decisions on the ground. The Oireachtas cannot seek to influence or interfere with the operational work of the Garda. If the Business Committee wants to meet and discuss the plan, we will provide time for a discussion on the different levels and so on. I have no difficulty with that if it is a desired objective.

Yes, that is fine.

My understanding is that this committee was being rescheduled for next week. The Minister, the CMO and others involved with the HSE are actively preparing and finalising the winter initiative plan this week and are agreeable to attending the Covid-19 committee next week.

When did the invitation go out?

When last week?

While I may be wrong and we need to clarify this, my understanding is that it was Friday evening.

It is not. Deputy Cullinane is messing.

I am willing to co-operate with the Opposition. It is, however, very difficult at times to ascertain if Deputy Cullinane is being genuinely constructive or deliberately using every available opportunity to undermine. I am willing to engage but the invitation went out on Friday evening to the people on NPHET, to those in the HSE and to the CMO and others. I am willing to clarify if that is true. These people were working extremely hard on the measures that had to be brought in on Friday, they briefed all the Deputie…

We offered Members a debate but they called a vote.

Deputy McDonald said this is an extraordinary situation. It is not an extraordinary situation. There will be a full day's business tomorrow which was agreed by the Business Committee involving a Private Members' Bill, the Labour Party Bill on sick leave and parental leave, which is a very important Bill and on which Government will engage constructively. There is Leaders' Questions. I am in here every week on Leaders' Questions taking questions from parties on all sides of the House. We have Question Time to the Ta…

I make the point also that all of the Members opposite supported the restrictions last Friday night. I know Sinn Féin was opposing it on Thursday night and opposing publicly the issues pertaining to hospitality.

I welcome the fact that on Friday that had changed and that it supported wholeheartedly the public health measures that were introduced to which the restrictions give effect but let us not overstate this either. I have no difficulty with scrutinising anything. I understand politics, too, when it is being played and there is no better person to play it than Deputy McDonald. She excels at playing politics with situations and platforming-----

I have noticed that every Tuesday here, notwithstanding what is agreed at the Business Committee, a vote is called. If there is not one vote, there are two votes.

It is going on all of the time.

Every excuse will be used to politically platform-----

-----cause a vote, get up and posture and so on. I did say that I was open to a debate on the plan.

I have no issue at all about that but, having said that, it was not enough for Deputies 15 minutes ago and a vote was called again. Notwithstanding that I said there should be a meeting of the Business Committee to facilitate working out the schedule, people proceeded to have the vote and not accept that as a demonstration of good faith. I have no issue at all with debating the plan. I want to debate the plan subject to schedule. I am in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for the European Council meeting but I am avai…

-----with the CMO and the HSE chief executive officer on testing and everything else. That happened and it was far less heated-----

-----than it tends to be in the public arena.

First, I wish to pay tribute to the Central Bank and its work, which has established some important facts and information on dual pricing. It is unacceptable and indicates the degree to which citizens were not served properly or fairly, in any shape or form, by the industry. The Government will bring forward its own proposals on this issue.