On the vaccine issue, which a number of Deputies have raised and which Deputy McGrath referred to as "medical apartheid", which is an appalling phrase to use - Deputies Tóibín and Connolly raised this issue also-----

What else is it?

-----the fundamental objective of all public health advice we receive is to protect lives and livelihoods. Do not forget that - through the Chair. It is up to Government to operationalise that and we are in discussions at the moment with the hospitality sector with a view to having a plan ready by the 19th of this month. There is a big challenge facing us in respect of the Delta variant, not just in Ireland but across Europe and indeed across the world. One only has to look at what is happening in South Africa in respect of the impact of the Delta variant to see how we have to take these things seriously and take them out of the divisiveness of the partisan political debate I have witnessed too often in respect of Covid-19 in this House.

What debate? There is no debate.

It is very regrettable that, since the Government was formed, debate has become very partisan and divisive.

The Taoiseach is deluding himself.

The public health advice should be accepted in good faith. One can disagree or agree but you should not be casting aspersions and using language such as "medical apartheid" and so forth-----

That is what it is.

-----when the only objective from the public health perspective is to protect people who are not vaccinated. Why would we want unvaccinated people to get the virus? Why would we want to throw caution to the wind? Is that okay? Is that what we are actually saying, if you look at the counterargument?

I thank the Taoiseach and his time is up.