I want to place something on the record. In the recent past, Ipsos MRBI carried out a poll on who people trust and of 27 professions, politicians are third last. Only 24% of people have trust in politicians. Even bankers are higher than us. I am a politician and I have to say that I had that same feeling yesterday as I listened to the Taoiseach's plan to open up the country. I want to place it on the record that I have lost all trust in the way we are dealing with the pandemic. I ask the Taoiseach to commit to having an item on the Dáil agenda every single month from now on to allow us look at how we are dealing with the pandemic in its totality-----

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

-----in respect of vaccinations, an overall policy, which should be zero Covid and control, and giving power back to the people. Talking about a passport for those who have been vaccinated or that I can eat indoors if I have been vaccinated but I cannot if I have not is extremely divisive. At this point, all I ask the Taoiseach to do is commit to having an ongoing item on the agenda every single month in this Dáil as part of the bargain in return for our support for draconian legislation.

Politicians have to be responsible for our actions. When the Taoiseach speaks to the nation, as he did yesterday, people look for leadership and hope. I refer to the last-minute announcement about the change in the vaccine roll-out. I am dealing with carers, teachers, child support workers, members of the Garda and bus drivers. A man told me on the train from Cork yesterday that one of the workers in Iarnród Éireann had died of Covid-19 and asked me where the roll-out was for them. The Taoiseach has to bring people with him. If the medical advice is the medical advice, we support that but he should have discussed that change with the unions and other representative bodies. There should have been inclusion, not an announcement out of nowhere.

I completely support Deputy Connolly in what she said. There is and continues to be a great deal of confusion among the public about many of the announcements that have been made. There is now a change to the vaccine roll-out. We are told that we can visit people if we have been vaccinated but we cannot if we have not been vaccinated. People are angered by that. The feedback on social media yesterday was to express anger, annoyance and frustration. Carers are ringing us asking if they have gone down the list in terms of getting the vaccine. Members of the Garda are seeking to be vaccinated. They have been on the front line for more than 12 months and have been completely forgotten. It is time for the Taoiseach to put proper action in place.

In respect of Deputy Connolly's remarks, I regard them as somewhat disingenuous. Politicians are elected in general elections. People elect politicians. I have been elected in quite a number of general elections. That is what I go by; nothing else. We are in a parliamentary democracy. People may not like us sometimes but that is acceptable. I salute and respect anybody who goes before the people in elections and gets elected because that is fundamental to what we are about as a society and has been since the foundation of the State.

It is also disingenuous of the Deputy to say that she wants me to commit to discussing Covid once a month. We have been discussing it every single day in this House since the pandemic began.

No. We are not.

Hear, hear.

We most certainly are discussing it. If she goes through the Order of Business for the past number of weeks she will see sessions on vaccinations, mental health and Covid, childcare and Covid and education and Covid. It is extremely disingenuous to suggest that once a month would be some sort of a commitment on Covid when the reality is we have been discussing Covid day in and day out in this House and at committees of the House also. That is the case.

I have met groups which represent the zero Covid philosophy and had a good exchange of views with them. I do not dismiss any perspectives that people have on Covid. On a regular basis we will continue, as we have been, discussing policies on Covid, aspects of Covid and different perspectives on Covid.

In response to Deputies Gould and Michael Collins, the evidence was based on clinical and medical advice, and on getting vaccines out as fast we possibly can in the middle of a global pandemic. That is what we are endeavouring to do.

That concludes questions on promised legislation. The 30 or so Deputies we have not reached will be given priority tomorrow.