Deputy Mary Lou McDonald - speech from 5 Mar 2020

Goeir maigat, Cathaoirleach. Cathaoirleach, the duty for all of us living on this island is to be sensible, to be thoughtful, not to panic and to do everything that we can to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Cathaoirleach, people are naturally very concerned. The World Health Organization has said that we are in uncharted territory. However, we are not in a war. On this island, we now have nine confirmed cases. Eight of these cases, are linked to travel to Italy, and one is a case of community transmission in the north. And as developments today have shown, the challenges that we face are evolving. It's clear that our fight against the coronavirus must be a unified all-island effort. The acting government here in the south and the power-sharing executive in the north must work as one. This means having a standardised approach to protect the health of everyone on the island of Ireland, It means both administrations being on their game in coordination of health resources and in communicating the information needed to keep people safe. The coronavirus doesn't recognise any border and we simply cannot afford a partitioned response to this emergency. To that end, I believe a meeting of the north-south ministerial council should be convened as a matter of urgency. The responsibility of government is to do absolutely everything to protect the public and to do these things in a right and a timely fashion. The acting government has a responsibility to discharge its duties with the cooperation of all parties in the Dáil. I believe it is. I believe it is. I believe it is. I believe it is critically important because it is the very best way to ensure that the response to this emergency is seamless, coherent and smooth when there is a change of government. This is a very real challenge for our health services and for our national public emergency system. And right now, right now we need to start strengthening our health system. We need to increase capacity rapidly. We need to start opening beds. Not only do we need to open beds, but we have to ensure that no bed is closed. The acting minister must give a clear commitment today that the beds opened as part of the winter initiative due to close on March 31st will definitely be kept open. He must also confirm that the 220 community nursing home beds currently reviewed for closure will not be closed. We need to ensure that we have sufficient capacity in ICU and isolation units to deal with this public health emergency. The embargo on hiring new nurses and doctors must be lifted immediately and a plan enacted to get people off trolleys urgently. Additional resources must be available both to our health services and to other frontline services which may be impacted. And we also need to free up beds in our hospitals by ensuring that people who are recovered and who are well are discharged from hospital as soon as possible. So, a specific and immediate focus on ramping up the provision of home health hours will facilitate this. There is an onus on government to ensure that people can be cared for in their homes for as long as it is medically possible. And a comprehensive and fully resourced home health action plan will facilitate that also. There is a need for employers to prioritise the wellbeing and welfare of their staff and the health of the general public. Advice and protection for workers must be guaranteed. We need to ensure that workers are protected and that they can have the confidence that they can take leave if it is required. Such assurances will be extremely important as this situation progresses. So, where a worker is unwell or at risk from this virus, they must feel free to come forward with confidence to self-report, to reduce risk and to protect themselves and indeed the public. Particular attention, I believe, must be paid to the circumstances of low paid workers and those in precarious working arrangements. Because a lot of workers live week to week and the impact of losing out on pay due to self-isolating could be utterly devastating. The cost of increased household bills and additional food supplies will undoubtedly be a source of stress. So, everything must be done to protect incomes. Emergency legislation may be required to strengthen sick pay entitlements and workers' rights. And if that is the case, so be it. Let's do that. Can I suggest also that there is now a need for an immediate, purposeful and focused engagement between employers, the trade union movement, the community and voluntary sector and government to work out a genuine partnership approach to the social and economic aspects of this emergency. Attention has now justifiably turned to what we should do with regard to large gatherings. Let me say that every decision made must be made in the interests of protecting public health and safety. In no way should the health or welfare of the community or any individual be jeopardised. So, we need to be guided by the doctors, the medics, the chief medical officer in what they tell us is needed to protect public health and safety. So, if the emergency team makes a recommendation that a gathering or an event should be cancelled, then that is precisely what must happen. The coronavirus emergency is also a very real challenge to our communities and for our families. This week, my own family has been affected. My two children attend the school that has been closed down. And my son and daughter are now self-isolating at home. And I can assure the Dáil that their initial delight at the gift of two weeks off school has well and truly passed. And they have really learned the meaning of that saying, be careful what you wish for. So, it is no visitors, no sports, no trips out with friends, no crack whatsoever. And reality has dawned on them pretty quickly. So, it is a trying time. And our family and our school community has been thrown a bit of a curveball to say the least. Count Corral, I want to sincerely thank everybody who sent us good wishes over the last number of days. It is deeply appreciated. There is a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty. And I know that this will be the same for the families affected by the other school closures. And many parents might worry as to how they speak with their children and their teenagers about the coronavirus. So, from my experience, such as it is, my best advice is this. Don't dismiss their fears or concerns. Be honest. Keep it calm. Keep it factual. And above all, make sure they know about the huge amount of work that is being done by so many people to fight the spread of this virus and to keep them safe. You know, young people don't often get the credit that they deserve. We forget how remarkably resilient, adaptable and compassionate our young people are. And I have seen this in how my own children and their school friends have handled this turn of events. They know full well that others have been affected in a far more serious way. Because at the heart of this situation now are people who are sick. And that is actually the most important fact. I am sure our thoughts are with those people and their families who are under incredible strain at this time. We know that they are in the hands of some of the very best medical staff in the world. And we wish them a speedy recovery. We face a public health emergency and a significant socio-economic challenge. It is an emergency and a challenge that we will overcome. But we must avoid the mistakes of the past. Where ordinary people bore the brunt of economic downturns. When governments sought to cut their way out of a crisis. Decimating public services and social protections. The coronavirus outbreak has put up in lights why public health care is absolutely essential in a modern globalised world. Public health care must be protected by government. Not hollowed out for privatisation. Fully funded and fully resourced public health care is something to which we should all be committed. In truth we are only as safe and healthy as the least protected in our community. That is the truth. Health care accessed on the basis of medical need. Not ability to pay is a sound principle. It is a fundamental of a decent society. And it is an absolute essential in preserving and advancing human health. In these times as we come together in this crisis. I hope that lesson along with many many others are learnt by all of us. Thank you very much.