The Government is destroying lives.

Does Deputy O'Donoghue want an answer or not?

I do not actually believe the statistics that Deputy O'Donoghue provided. We can park that because I do not believe that is the important point. International and nationally, where there is congregation and so on, the infection rate relating to the virus rises. The challenge really will be to try to control it. As we move from level 5 to level 3, the issue will be one of risk. No one in Dáil Éireann or the Government wants to destroy or undermine anyone's livelihood. I am sure that should be clear to everyone at this stage. All we want to do is protect lives and livelihoods. That is the only agenda. We want to do this as effectively as we can. Yet, there will be issues around this and people will get notice. They will get plenty of notice.

I want to raise with the Taoiseach the issue of the catheterisation laboratory in Sligo University Hospital. At the moment there is a temporary cath lab that is available a couple of times per week. This is an ongoing issue and there has been a campaign to put in place the service for many years. People who live in the north west and who need the service are being deprived of it.

There is also an issue with the recruitment of a cardiologist. Dr. Donal Murray is due to retire. He told me personally that getting a replacement is a major issue because of the absence of a cath lab in the hospital. People who want to come and work as senior cardiologists want to ensure they have access to the proper services. The denial of that service to the people in the north west is having a knock-on effect. I appeal to the Taoiseach to speak to the Minister for Health to ensure that the service is put in place as quickly as possible. It is almost 30 years since it was first mooted.

I do not know whether Deputy Kenny has spoken to the HSE regionally or the save-the-hospital group in terms of what their plans are for the recruitment of the cardiologist and the cath lab. That is the level at which these decisions are being taken. Significant resources were made available by the Minister for Health in the budget. The amount involved is €4 billion in total: €2 billion to cover Covid-19; and €2 billion for additional services on top of the current services. There are substantial resources available. Operationally, it is clearly a matter for the HSE to get those issues sorted.

This is safer gambling week. In 2013, Fine Gael published the general scheme of a gambling control Bill. In 2018, the Fianna Fáil Party published the Gambling Control Bill. The Bill passed Second Stage but lapsed with the dissolution of the previous Dáil earlier this year. These two parties are now in government. Yet, the Minister of State with responsibility for public health and well-being, Deputy Feighan, told me last week that it will be the end of 2021 before he finishes drafting gambling control legislation. Why will it take over a year to draft legislation that is already sitting on the shelves gathering dust? The Fianna Fáil Party said it would be a political priority for the next Government.

This is an important issue. The Minister of State with responsibility for law reform, Deputy James Browne, is prioritising it. Obviously, he will be consulting with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and others. We will be progressing this as quickly and effectively as possible.

The programme for Government contains a commitment to ensuring that regional towns and villages act as hubs for sustainable development. Yet, towns in my county have seen the Expressway services cut, especially towns like Cashel, Cahir, Roscrea and Nenagh. When the restrictions are lifted and we beat this pandemic, my town of Cashel will be hardest hit by the withdrawals. We depend on the Expressway service to bring tourists to our town. We have no public transport. It is time the Government and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, woke up. The Minister fobbed us off last night by talking about the railway from Limerick to Ballybrophy. We need the Expressway service. We need public transport in rural towns like Cashel for students going to college and people going for hospital appointments. We depend on it. The two Expressway services in Tipperary are being taken away. I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene or make a statement on it for the people of Tipperary.

The Minister for Transport has answered the question on these issues in terms of the decisions of Bus Éireann relating to Expressway services. The company was of a view that there was a sufficiency of capacity on those particular routes.

I will engage with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on the matter.