Rose Conway-Walsh criticised the government's two-tier reopening plan and said she and Sinn Fein will oppose it. She argued the proposal is unenforceable and unfair because it would bar people unable to access vaccines from indoor hospitality.
Main objection
She told the minister the two-tier approach is fundamentally different and unacceptable, arguing it would force people who cannot or do not take a vaccine to be excluded except to work and to serve.
Impact on small businesses
She warned that small businesses with loyal customers would be put in the position of refusing long-standing patrons, creating practical and ethical problems for proprietors who have supported their communities.
Comparison with travel rules
She contrasted the proposal with vaccination and documentation requirements for international travel, noting that travel rules accommodated the unvaccinated through testing and recognition of recovery. She said the new legislation would instead require people to produce medical documentation to eat and drink indoors and would place non-vaccinated staff in service of vaccinated customers.
Alternative measures and public response
She acknowledged a strong public response to vaccination and appealed to social responsibility. She urged the minister to reconsider and to consider alternatives presented by the opposition, including testing, ventilation, infection control and social distancing.
Political consequences and call to reconsider
She said the plan risks splitting people and leaving younger cohorts behind and criticised representatives who appear inconsistent in their positions. She told the minister he had 'lost the dressing room' and demanded the legislation be rethought to avoid segregation across this island.
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Go raibh agat gael gheirle. Minister, I with Sinn Fein and others will oppose the government's plans for a two-tier reopening as they are unenforceable and they are unfair. The idea that those who are unable to take or access a vaccine will not be allowed inside other than to work and to serve is just totally unacceptable. And I know for many of the small businesses that I have been talking to, I mean, they have loyal customers. for 52 weeks of the year. They're going to have to say to many of those customers, no, you can't come in here while others can. People are concerned because it sets a precedent, a precedent that people simply are not comfortable with. Most people were okay with the requirements for international travel, at least within the EU. They were okay with it as we are all used to having to produce documentation when traveling and in some cases even having vaccines to have vaccines in advance. Requirements for travel also took account of the unvaccinated by allowing for testing and people who have recovered from COVID. But this piece of legislation is fundamentally different. We will now have a situation where non-vaccinated will be serving the vaccinated, people having to produce medical documentation to eat and to drink. Now we've seen Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael senators and TDs across the state come out And to quote one Mayo, Fianna Fáil senator, I believe the government have made the wrong decision to proceed with a plan to allow only fully vaccinated people back to indoor hospitality. We are splitting the people and leaving younger people behind the very cohort that have shouldered the greatest burden to protect others. Now that was two weeks ago. How can the same representatives now vote in favor of this legislation? These senators and TDs seem to think that they're in opposition in their constituencies and only in government when they come to Dublin, when they come up to vote. We want to see the highest possible take-up rate of vaccinations. And so far, we've seen a really good response from the public on this. I believe a lot of that is because we have a strong sense of social responsibility. Minister, you have broken the social contract here. And I would ask you to re-look at this. We all want businesses open. We all want businesses to thrive. But we also have put forward to you the way that we can have safe re-openings. And to say that the opposition aren't presenting any solutions in terms of suggestions for infection control, for ventilation, for testing, for social distancing, all of those things. You've lost the dressing room, Minister. And it's time for you to rethink this and to listen to the opposition and to listen to people who have real concerns about this. We cannot segregate people. People cannot be segregated across this island. Thank you. Thank you.
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