I am sorry but I must ask Deputy Tóibín to resume his seat. Deputy Mattie McGrath is next.

The Constitution is meant to be a sacred document and we are meant to be the custodians of it. The Government, by its actions on the advice of NPHET, is destroying the pub, dance and arts industries and is treading on the Constitution. I saw a report last night on the horribly-named wet pubs - I do not know who gave them that name.

During the last lockdown, many such pubs made great efforts to have food prepared in their pubs or to have food brought in. This was done with guidance from the HSE and in line with the hazard analysis and critical control point, HAACP, system. They have now been summarily dismissed and told that they cannot operate under level 3. The Government is changing the goalposts all of the time. I want the Taoiseach to get real and to tell us what he has against the pubs. What does he have against artists and dancing schools? What he is doing is totally illogical and it will fail. The Taoiseach is the only person around here who needs a dose of reality.

I remind the Deputy that this virus kills people. Some 3,000 people on the island of Ireland have died as a result of this virus and many more have suffered long-term health impacts. That is the Government's only motivation in doing what it is doing.

It is unconstitutional.

It is wrong of the Deputy to play politics with this issue and to ask rhetorically what I have against pubs. I have absolutely nothing against pubs.

The Taoiseach should prove it.

The Deputy should not be so silly, for God's sake. This is too serious an issue-----

-----to reduce it to that. It is too serious an issue because lives are at stake.

The Government has the pubs ruined.

The measure was enacted for the benefit of the public health.

The Taoiseach is pitting one against another.

Evidence has been gathered which, unfortunately, has connected pubs to the spread of the virus in certain local electoral areas.

That is balderdash.

It is all documented. No one would love to have the pubs open more than I would because they are a vital part of economic life across the country. That has to be said. This sort of divisiveness does not help our overall effort to deal with the crisis. That is why we have provided unprecedented supports to pubs to help them through what I accept is a very difficult and challenging time for them. It is a very difficult time for publicans.