Danny Healy-Rae urges one-metre rule to revive Kerry tourism
Danny Healy-Rae addressed the Taoiseach on 27 May 2020, warning that Kerry will be worse affected by the pandemic than any other county and requesting a written response. He urged reducing physical distancing to one metre in rural areas to help tourism, sought payments and supports for seasonal and transport workers, raised learner driver testing solutions, and demanded changes to funeral, nursing home and direct provision arrangements.
Local impact in Kerry
He said many reports and surveys indicate Kerry will be harder hit by the virus, but he did not need reports because he knows the situation first-hand. He named towns including Clarnay, Dingle, Caercivene and Castle Island and said there is "nothing at all happening" in those places.
Seasonal workers and the transport sector
He argued it would be unfair if seasonal workers missed out on payments because the lockdown started before they returned, saying that if lockdown had continued two more weeks they would have been back and receiving corporate payments. He reported receiving over 700 emails from bus drivers and others in Kerry's transport industry, described yards of idle buses and said drivers had no payment and that "their stamps are gone."
Physical distancing and tourism recovery
He urged the Taoiseach to reduce the two‑metre rule to one metre in rural areas to assist hotels and tourism. He cited countries such as France, Norway, Sweden and Finland and referenced the World Health Organization, noting Ireland gave over 9 million recently, and said the WHO recommends one metre or more; he argued one metre is sufficient in rural places to allow tourist flows from Dublin and elsewhere and to avoid long-term closures of hotels and attractions.
Learner drivers and testing arrangements
He called for a temporary amnesty for young drivers waiting for driving tests or, if that is not possible, for driving instructors and schools to arrange divisions or use the driving instructor's cab so lessons and tests can proceed. He said there are thousands of learners affected.
Funerals, nursing homes and CARS-IV direct provision centre
He expressed sympathy for families denied proper funerals and criticised limits such as allowing only ten people into a large cathedral in Killarney, calling for the rules to be re‑examined. He demanded explanations for nursing home deaths where residents died alone, noting the personal impact of losing someone dear. He also urged the Taoiseach to investigate and close the CARS-IV direct provision centre, saying the HSE, the local people and the residents themselves did not agree with its opening and it should be shut down.
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I'd be very grateful, Chairman, if the Taoiseach would respond to me in writing, because I have too many things to highlight. There are many reports and surveys done, Taoiseach, indicating that Kerry will be worse affected by the pandemic of the virus than any other county in the country. Indeed, I don't need to see any of those reports because I know of it first-hand, when you see towns like Clarnay and Dingle and Caercivene and Castle Island, there's nothing at all happening. And in relation to seasonal workers, I think it is very unfair that they wouldn't recognise, if the lockdown hadn't happened for another two weeks, all of them would have been back and they would be getting the corporate payment. Bus drivers, hotel workers, indeed in the last two days, I've had over 700 emails from bus drivers and people concerned about the transport industry in Kerry. And it's shambhalic the way they have been treated and when you see yards of buses and to think that there are none of them moving and no payment for any driver, their stamps are gone and this is where they are now totally left behind. I'm asking you to address that matter, Taoiseach, I'm asking you to address that matter, Taoiseach, and in relation to the two meters and the one meter, in order to get going or to get some kind of assistance to the tourism industry, I'm asking you to reduce it to one meter. Because other countries like France, Norway, Norway, Norway, Sweden and Finland, all of them apply the one meter. And you see, the WHO, the World Health Organization, we gave over 9 million to lately, for their advice and their assistance, they're recommending one meter or more, this is what they're saying, but one meter is sufficient in rural places and if you don't apply that, and the longer that you leave the hotel industry and the tourism industry, without releasing them and allowing them to get going and have a veil of the national tourist people that come down from Dublin and from different parts of the country, from all around the country, to come to places like Killarney and Kerry and other places in Kerry, the less hope of the ever again opening, that's what probably will happen. In relation to young drivers waiting for driving test Taoiseach, I'm calling first of all if it is possible to give them a temporary amnesty, there's thousands of them, and if he can't do that, surely that the driving instructors could be asked of the school of motoring to put a division between themselves and the learner driver, to allow them to allow them to allow them to allow them to do the test to do their lessons, and then after having their lessons, and most of them have it done, to allow them to do the test in the driving instructor's cab. I'm glad that other deputies raised the issue about funerals and churches, and indeed I sympathise with all the people and the families who have lost loved ones during this pandemic and who didn't have a proper funeral, and it makes no sense in the world to think that only 10 people can go into the massive cathedral in Killarney, and there should be some other way of deciding and there should be some other way of deciding and it should be re-looked at and I support that. In relation to nursing homes, I'm calling on you Taoiseach to explain to the people of Ireland why it had to happen, that people who toiled and also had all their lives had to die alone with no member of their family with them, and as someone that lost someone very dear to me in the last few years, I know what it means to the person that's dying and they surely couldn't understand why there was no one with them. I'm calling on you Taoiseach to look yourself at what has happened in CARS-IV in relation to the direct provision centre there, and all the inconsistencies and the things that should have happened and the opening of a direct provision centre there is clear now should never have happened. The HSE didn't agree with it, the people of CARS-IV didn't agree with it, and the people in the direct provision centre, the residents themselves don't agree with it. So I'm asking you Taoiseach to look at that please and to close it down for once and for all and give the people of CARS-IV and the residents a fair plea. Thank you to author Dr announce the milestone that just revealed to God and if you want to continue doing a campaign, you'll have to take place after that along on your behalf. Thank you. Tell I am to the person we have to thank you MO,隣 ocas Kindle, and the ICAa is sharing the messages that according to you to yapt Your list and the script, our will 196 åp, 쓰고 on this time will be noted YEL賽 distribute violence and against you then Your name is A shadow actor about the world of Canadaanto Show. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. Admaly.
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