Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to?

They are not agreed. Ireland is the most vaccinated country in Europe. It has a 92% vaccination rate. It has also had the longest and most severe restrictions in the whole of Europe at a cost that is higher than most of the rest of Europe. Despite this, we have the seventh highest level of Covid-19 in the whole of the European Union at the moment. By any measure, this is a disaster and a failure of government. Rapid antigen testing outside of close contacts is still only an aspiration in the plans we have seen today. There is a request that the expert advisory group on rapid testing provide a view on future feasibility and an understanding of what is happening.

Thank you, Deputy.

There needs to be a debate in this House today to discuss what the Government has decided upon.

I remind Deputies to be brief. We are eating into the time.

The Labour Party has tabled a priority question on the decriminalisation of drug users for answer on Thursday. The Department of Justice has told us it is a matter for the Department of Health and, as a result, this priority question will not be answered by the Minister for Justice. The reason our courts are full of people with drug addictions is that this is a justice issue. It is dealt with by the Department of Justice and falls under the legislation that the Minister for Justice oversees. If we are to have this conversation about the decriminalisation of drug users, I have to ask the Minister for Justice about it. My priority question on Thursday has been disallowed and I have been told it will be put in front of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, in two weeks’ time. I ask the Ceann Comhairle's office to intervene-----

Thank you, Deputy.

-----because Members of this House and those we are trying to represent are not well served by Departments and Ministers who are ducking issues that affect very vulnerable people.

Hear, hear.

If I understand it correctly, Deputy Tóibín wants a debate on Covid-19 and what he describes as "a disaster and a failure of government". That language is completely wrong and inappropriate. We were designated number one in the world for resilience in respect of Covid in the Bloomberg report. It is for it to determine that we are number one.

The facts are clear.

That report was on our entire handling of Covid-19 and places to live during Covid in terms of the resilience of society. It had a whole range of factors, from the economy to vaccination. I know enough about a global pandemic to know that it can come back to bite at any time. We have noticed that different countries have different phases of the pandemic, which manifests itself differently. It has not been a disaster in Ireland because in terms of mortality and incidence, we are way below other comparable countries in Europe and around the world. That is no reason to be complacent. What today's decision is about is essentially taking note of the fact that the trajectory of the virus has taken a turn for the worse and the need, as we reopen, to retain some key protections, namely, the vaccination cert - which I know the Deputy-----

But not antigen testing.

-----was virulently against - and in terms of masks and other issues where appropriate and practical.

By the way, I do not have an issue with a debate. All Members agreed to the Order of Business and the schedule for the week.

The restrictions were announced today.

I know. The trajectory went kind of wrong over the last two weeks. As I said earlier, the timelines are not of the Government’s creation. Covid-19 does not respect our parliamentary schedule. That is the point and because it does not respect our parliamentary schedule, the Government is open to facilitating a debate, although not today. Thursday could be an opportunity if the Business Committee could meet and if that is the desire of the House, but that is a matter for the Business Committee.

On Deputy Ó Ríordáin's point, I have sympathy with the Deputy's position. He has a strong commitment to this issue. He is an advocate for the decriminalisation of drugs and dealing with drugs from a policy perspective more as a health issue than a criminal issue. I will talk to both Ministers and Departments. I do not tend to know what happens in these situations but it is unfortunate that the Deputy has been denied that opportunity this week. As far as we are concerned, these issues should be thrashed out in the open in Parliament. There is no issue with that. I regret that this happened and I will revert to the Deputy.

I thank the Taoiseach.

Is it agreed that the matter will go to the Business Committee, with a view to having it on the agenda this week? Agreed.