Opposition Parties Who Voted For Criminal Justice Legislation

Solidarity- People Before Profit only party to vote against Dáil legislation yesterday that gives power to Minister for Health to make criminal offences of ill thought out regulations

With furore over nonsensical new regulations for bars and restaurants, the government and opposition parties who voted for Criminal Justice Legislation yesterday should put up hands and admit they were wrong

In a statement today Richard Boyd Barrett TD said that the completely justified public furore over what he described as “nonsensical and over the top” regulations demanding pubs and restaurants keep a record of what their customers have eaten was a vindication of the warnings made by the People Before Profit TD yesterday in the Dáil during the debate on the Criminal Justice legislation.

Deputy Boyd Barrett said: “It is deeply ironic that the government and all other opposition parties, who yesterday voted in favour of giving draconian and excessive powers to the Minister for Health, are now complaining about the use of these powers, the day after they voted for them.

He said: “Government TD’s and opposition parties who voted to give these wide ranging new powers to the Minister for Health should now put up their hands and admit they were wrong.

“Furthermore, it is ridiculous that the parties, including Sinn Féin, Labour and Social Democrats who are today complaining, on foot of public anger, also voted against the People Before Profit amendment which would have removed the section that gave the Minister power to make such ill thought out regulations a criminal offence.”