Danny Healy-Rae Slams Vaccine Pass for Pubs as Unfair Divide
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the reopening of the hospitality sector and opposed the introduction of a vaccination pass requirement for pubs and small restaurants. He argued the measure is unfair, divisive and risks permanently damaging businesses that have been closed too long.
Reopening plea and business concern
He expressed strong support for fully reopening pubs and small restaurants, saying longer closures will force many to never reopen. He thanked Matty McGrath and his office for helping with the motion and said hotels and other sectors are already open.
Cross-border differences and tourism impact
He pointed to differences across the border where pubs are open and described people from the south travelling north for stags, hens and other parties, filling beds in the north of Ireland. He used this as evidence that restrictions are harming local businesses and driving trade elsewhere.
Health exemptions and individual cases
He highlighted cases of people unable or unwilling to take a second vaccine due to adverse reactions or medical issues such as blood-clotting and blood-thinner medication. He said those people fear being left outside while family members enter pubs or restaurants.
Data, policing and government planning
He criticised the vaccination pass requirement as intrusive and questioned data protection and enforcement, asking who will police checks at doors. He argued the government had no clear plan, delaying reopenings until shortly before July 5th and only consulting vintners after the fact.
Impact on young people and rural communities
He said chemists and pharmacists are inundated with 18-to-20-year-olds seeking vaccines to gain legal entry to pubs and restaurants and warned the policy has created a divide, particularly harming rural Ireland. He concluded he could not support the proposal "in this present foreign minister" configuration.
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I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this very important matter and I want to thank Matty McGrath and his office and his girls for helping us with this motion. Look, I more than anyone else look forward to every door being opened, whether in the hospitality sector, whether it is pubs or whether it is small restaurants, they have been closed for far too long. And the longer they are left closed, the more of them that will never again open, and that is a fact. And because attitudes are changing and people are maybe resigned to having a few drinks at home and buying it, there is no problem with meeting guards on the road or whatever and they are doing different things now and I worry for many businesses that things will never again be the same. Like I say, I more than anyone else have made calls here inside day after day for to allow the pubs and the small restaurants to be open in the very same way as the hotels and other sectors. Nearly every other sector is open. And when we look across the border, they are all opened up there. And we, I know of stags, hens, all kinds of parties travelling up to the north and there is no problem, they are drinking inside. And to such an extent, we were looking for to get beds for the people who are taking open the next bus and they want the bed to be got. In all of the north of Ireland, all the beds are full because they are booked out from people from the south. And that is the truth. But we have no problem in the last five years getting beds for the people going up to get their eyes done or their hips or whatever it is. Now we have a serious problem. And like I say, but this thing that the government are bringing in and it is just a last attempt because they know pubs will have to open. But they want to put this restriction in place and it is very unfair. It is dividing the people. And where is the data protection? If we ring up about someone's medical card or something, there is such a rigmarole about data protection. But now there is no problem in the world. One person is supposed to ask a customer coming in, do you have, have you been vaccinated? Show me your vaccination pass. This is totally, absolutely ridiculous. I have so many people that have rang me, have emailed me, have written to me asking them not to support this legislation that the government are bringing in because it has created a divide. I have women that have blood problems, clotting problems. I had another lady last night, she said surely Danny won't work for something to keep me outside the door. She has a problem with blood thinners and her doctor has advised her that she can take the vaccine. Am I going to be kept outside and my husband and my son and daughter go into the local pub? Is that what you are going to do to me? I can't do that. There are several others, people that got the first vaccine and they had a reaction. And no way in the world they finished up in the Kark University Hospital and they had to stay there for nights. And they are not taking the second vaccine and they won't be able to get this passed in. I know one man and he is more entitled to anyone else to have a couple of points because he works very hard. So that is going to mean he is going to be left outside. Who is going to police this? I mean, I don't think there is police bill. There are a lot of other things that the guards need to be doing and they are up to their neck. What more resources has been given towards the guardia to do this? The government had no plan. They opened nearly everywhere else the 1st of June and they had no plan until the week before the July 5th when they said that they were going to delay the reopening again. And when there was so much of displeasure being shown to them about it, they said they wanted a plan from the vintners. So they met the vintners, in other words, after the fair. And some of the vintners organisations are saying that they will go with it. And they have not contacted their rank and file. Already young people are being forced now to look for the vaccine. The chemists and the pharmacists are inundated with young people over 18, 18 to 20, looking to get the vaccine so they can be legally allowed inside a public house or a restaurant. It is totally unfair. It has created a void and I can't vote for it in this present foreign minister. It is totally unfair what they are trying to do to the people, especially in rural Ireland. When begin? Tommy Charlam. Tommy Charlam. Tommy Charlam. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm.
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