Paul Murphy: Slams midnight rule, calls for enforceable ventilation law

Thanks. I'm happy to support the extension of this Act to ensure that temporary outdoor seating areas at pubs and restaurants are covered by the liquor licences of the premises. Obviously, the use of outdoor seating over the summer in particular was very important in helping to bring down COVID numbers. I think they also help to make our towns and city centres more vibrant. I think it is possible for us to sustain an outdoor living outside of a pandemic. It is possible, particularly in summertime, but even outside of the summertime, there's much that we have done that needs to be continued. It obviously is the case that while we extend this Act correctly, that as the winter weather is quite delayed, but it's presumably coming, it gets colder, more and more people will be leaving the outdoor areas and moving indoors in bars and restaurants. And that, obviously, in turn poses very serious challenges. And I have to say the announcement by the government today of the new rule about midnight, it just strikes of more theatre, more theatre about COVID as opposed to actually doing what's necessary. It was Orla Hegarty who said, I think, quite appropriately, I mean, are we dealing here with a virus or are we dealing with a vampire? What are the methods that we're taking to try to stop the spread of COVID? And I think there's been so much theatre in the course of this pandemic, theatre to pretend to be doing something as opposed to dealing with the actual issues. And like we're here talking about outdoor because of outdoor being central, because the fact that we're dealing with an airborne virus. So to the extent that we have licensing for outdoor premises, there's some recognition, some thought on the part of the government that yes, and the question of airborne virus is very, very important. But then it simply boggles the mind that almost two years into an airborne pandemic, we have no real action to improve indoor air quality in bars, restaurants, or schools and offices. No legally enforceable measures to ensure there's proper ventilation. Very, very few workplaces have CO2 monitors and practically no air filtration systems in use, including in our schools. When it was believed that the virus was primarily transferred by our hands and surfaces, action was taken to encourage regular handwashing, gels were provided in bars, surfaces were cleaned regularly, etc. We've discovered over a year ago that it's primarily airborne. And yet, you know, you go into a pub or a restaurant, you'll get your hand sanitizer, but there's a very large chance that there won't be a window open in the place, there won't be a door open in the place, there won't be any concern about it. And that's because the main public health messaging continues to be at things like, wash your hands, and I'm all for washing your hands, that's a good, important thing to do, but ignoring the elephant in the room, which is the question of ventilation. And if restaurants don't enforce proper hand hygiene, they can be shut down, but if they have no ventilation, if they have CO2 rates of 1,500, 2,000 parts per million, nothing can happen to them. Next week, the Dáil will have a chance to correct this, and to pass the People Before Profits Workplace Ventilation Bill to finally establish enforceable standards for clean air and ventilation. That action on ventilation is necessary, as well, of course, of encouraging outdoor dining, which this act does. And the other relevant measures, is the fact that you have the midnight coming in, etc., I think the tendency, very, very unfortunately, is going to be towards increasing lockdown and sectors going back to being closed. And that raises a big question, like, how we can have a situation whereby sectors were just beginning to be opened up, now it's beginning to be closed again in terms of the midnight, and I think that's going to go further. And yet, literally at the same time, the Government is proceeding with plans to cut the pandemic unemployment payment. Just today, people were cut to 250 euros, or just over 200 euros, the same level as the Dáil, when people who work in pubs and nightclubs are at the very least going to have their hours restricted, but others will be unemployed as a result of the pandemic again. The new restrictions were made necessary because the Government has let COVID get out of control again, cutting back on tests and trades, refusing to enforce proper ventilation in pubs and workplaces and schools, etc. But workers should not be forced to foot the bill. If it was accepted that you needed a minimum of 350 euros a year ago, six months ago, well, then why in this wave of the pandemic is it acceptable in the run-up to Christmas to cut it? It should not be cut, it should be restored to 350, as long as the serious effect of the pandemic is with us, as long as it's shutting down parts of the economy, as long as it means people are unemployed, it should be restored to 350.