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OVER THE LAST number of weeks, if you spoke out against the government roadmap or the recommendations by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), you were accused of “rubbishing the experts’ opinion”.
That is the dominant view within the Fianna Fáil party this week – in fact, sources say the parliamentary party have been raising concerns from as far back as March.
In a speech to the Dáil that month, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said opposition parties have been “privately” making suggestions to government. He said there was an approach seeking to limit public disagreements.
“There is a fine balance to be struck between supporting a common message to the public and maintaining space for asking tough questions and pointing to areas where more action may be required,” he said.
Martin also said in March there was a need to create a space for debate and for challenging messages.
“Everyone being on the same side does not remove the need to ask questions.”
So, if government formation talks are agreed and wound up by the end of next week, and if a new government is in place by the end of June, will the pace of lifting the restrictions be a sticking point among the parties in power if there is no change?
Yes it will, according to the Fianna Fáil consensus. If the party enters into government, most of its TDs want to open up the economy much faster than what is set out in the roadmap.
As one Fianna Fáil TD put it this week:
We’ll be in [power] in a couple of weeks, and we’ll reopen the economy, much faster. We have to.”
Another added that Health Minister Simon Harris’ blithe acceptance of the advice from the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan was concerning, adding that to question the advice was seen as “taboo” in the last number of weeks.
While some Fine Gael ministers, as well as the Taoiseach, have been described as “cautious” there is pressure – both inside and outside of government – to scrap travel limits, the two metre social distancing rule, as well as to fast-track the opening of some businesses by 29 June.
The push to expedite matters has been coming from the top of the Fianna Fáil party too.
This week, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin as well as another senior member of the party, Jim O’Callaghan have spoken out against a number of the measures in the phased re-lifting of the lockdown.
On Wednesday, Martin said “there is no remaining serious justification for the five- kilometre limit”.
“The public health concern is how people behave around others – not how far they are from their home. In fact, the research shows that this limit may in fact be forcing people in urban areas into more crowded situations.”
He added that he is also not in agreement with the 20km limit, which is set out in Phase Two, where people are allowed to travel 20km from their home.
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Martin raised concerns about retailers, and why some are open and others are not.
“Equally the current distinctions between different types of shop are at best arbitrary. Supermarkets have been open throughout the pandemic while implementing measures about distancing and hygiene.
“The figures on community spread suggest that the supermarkets have not played a role in spreading the virus – where the overwhelming issue is clustering in health facilities, nursing homes and some workplaces like meat factories,” he said.
Last weekend, The Sunday Times reported that supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are reporting that around 20 staff members between the two retailers contracted coronavirus, out of workforce of about 9,000.
The latest figures show that the number of patients in hospitals with Covid-19 continues to fall and now is at 193. The number of patients in ICU with confirmed Covid-19 now stands at 45. It was 70 when the lockdown was introduced.
A total of 22,089 people are now recovered from the virus, and only 1,083 people are sick in Ireland at the moment with the virus.
Following Martin’s speech in the Dáil, O’Callaghan took up the baton from his party leader, asking who was in charge. He also called for a faster easing of the restrictions.
“No matter what we do, there will be risks,” he said, stating that everyone recognised in March that it was absolutely essential that Ireland closes down to protect intensive care units, hospitals and citizens from the surges that occurred in Italy and subsequently in Spain.
“Now, however, we are in the fortunate position where the number of cases, of deaths and people in intensive care are in decline. Up to now, all our decisions have been made on the exclusive basis of public health requirements. Public health should still predominate,” he said, asking that the Cabinet also consider other factors when deciding how we progress out of the lockdown.
“It is important to note that the National Public Health Emergency Team has placed great, indeed sole, emphasis on health issues but it is the Cabinet which is responsible for providing a direction for this country to lead us out of the lockdown.
“We cannot have a situation where executive governmental responsibility is subcontracted out to NPHET,” said O’Callaghan.
The view is echoed by other TDs in the party, such as Sligo–Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry, who said:
I live in Sligo and we are on our 12th day without a case in Sligo. Leitrim is on its eighth day without a case of Covid-19. The government have to be realistic about that.”
MacSharry said a plan for schools is needed now, adding that the science doesn’t support the idea that children cannot return to school as normal.
Everyone wants a vaccine to be found, he said, but added that if one isn’t found, society will have to live with the virus.
“If the virus re-emerges, I don’t think we could countenance another lockdown,” he said.
“Personally, I think we should open everything on the 29 June,” he said.
If there are concerns about a full-scale reopening of the country, MacSharry suggests that there be pilot projects in places like Sligo, Leitrim and Kerry, where the cases have been low.
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The two-metre social distancing rule and whether to reduce it to one metre is a bone of contention, even for some in government.
Education Minister Joe McHugh said schools could not return as normal with the two-metre rule in place, while Junior Minister John Halligan also questioned why Ireland has a two-metre rule when most other EU countries have a one or 1.5-metre rule.
“That will go down to one metre if we go in with Fine Gael, there is too much at risk if we don’t reduce it,” said one Fianna Fáiler.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has indicated that the issue will be looked at if the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths continues to fall.
“There has to be calculated risk taken, and people have to use a bit of cop-on and common sense. The government have to get with the programme. We’re either open or we’re not,” said MacSharry.
When asked if this will be one of the first contentious issues the new government might have to contend with, he said talks appear to be going well and progress is being made. He added that “irrespective of whether it is the outgoing or the incoming government, this will have to be dealt with as a matter of urgency”.
When asked on Friday whether a push to accelerate the roadmap to reopening the economy by his potential partners in government will cause difficulties in the weeks ahead, Varadkar said the government will continue to tread carefully.
He said everyone wants to speed-up the reopening, but added:
“I have to caution that … if we do that, we have to do that based on data and us being sure that it is safe to do so. We only eased restrictions on May 18 and if for some reason that has caused the virus to start spreading rapidly again, then we won’t know that until next week.
“Making any decision today about accelerating the reopening of the country would be premature and risky. It is only something we can consider next Friday when we have data to see if the restrictions eased have caused the virus to propagate again.
“I think the worse thing we can do is to reopen businesses and then two or three weeks later have to close them again. I would rather have a slow and steady plan rather than accelerate it unsafely and end up having to lock down again.
“Nothing would do more damage to economic confidence and national morale if we told people it was safe to reopen, then a few weeks later tell them it is not.”
However, disquiet over the phased reopening of the economy has even been raised around the Cabinet table, with some sources stating the expediting of some measures will most likely be fast-tracked, depending on the trajectory of the figures.
Varadkar said on Friday that progress has been made in the government formation talks between the Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, stating that compromise will have to be found on the more “contentious” issues.
The Taoiseach says he hopes a programme for government can be finished by the end of next week to allow a new government to be in place by the end of June.
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Good old Micheal Martin hasn’t been heard from since he cancelled the leaving cert because it wouldn’t be safe ( not much social distancing in Salthill yesterday) now he wants to be popular again by opening up faster( we should) but he’s just an opportunistic tosser
@tom forde: Indeed, reading the public mood and finally speaking out. The government response has indeed been sub par throughout but we don’t need to wait for Michael Martin to tell us.
@tom forde: And what do you think Leo has been doing since St Patrick’s day?
FG are flying in the polls since this started and they are on tv/ radio all day every day electioneering.
FG control the media because they still hang onto the power. Martin is just being given a voice in case he becomes taoiseach in the next few weeks.
Our media is as corrupt as they come!
@Gary O CONNOR: of course they are not one party. Are DUP and sf the one now that they’re in power together. Are SDLP and SF the one because they have similar political policies
Typical SF simpleton Nonsense. Sound byte politics
@Ro-your-nan: Yeah, because FF have a superb track record in the economic competency field. Their last time running the country brought economic collapse, bankruptcy and the IMF.
@Nioe: SF and DUP are only in power together albeit begrudgingly due to the Good Friday Agreement. Both parties have very different ideologies so distinguishing between isn’t difficult. FG and FF on the other hand have more or less the same broken neoliberal ideology. All that differentiates them is history and personalities.
@Ro-your-nan: It was F.F. that led us into economic destruction..F.G. added to the mess .Imagine what they will do when United…Between them they have governed this state since it’s foundation…FFGs record concerning public finances not to be boasted about.
@Paul Kelly: The worst thing for either party is to go into government and especially needing the Greens to prop them up But someone has to form a government in what will be the second worst economic climate in the last 50 years and the shinners in the background telling everyone that when they get into power everything is going to be free for everyone and people will believe them.
What has this country come to.possibly 4 more years of FFG with 3 party leaders who are spoofers going from one crises to the next in government with their head buried in the sand just like the last few governments.no vision for the future.
@tuco: yes, agreed. Enough of us should have voted for the IRA army council and their little pupoet clones. We’d be well on the way to becoming Europe’s Venezuela by now, all poor together in the workers’ republic, waiting for the money tree to grow.
@John Mulligan: You mean the magic money tree that Martin and Varadkar said didn’t exist and magically appeared. As for Europe’s Venezuela..F.F. who facilitated the gangsterism of the banks and developers facilitated by politicians and the Thatcherite policy inflicted by F.G./ so called Labour made sure we were the capitalist version of Venezuela.
@John Mulligan: Indeed…because Venezuela’s problems are definitely down to Socialism, not remotely due to the Western World(incl. Ireland), under financial threats from the US, implementing crippling sanctions against the sovereign state due to the horrific crime against capitalism of nationalising its own resources!
Good job Varadkar is a qualified doctor and listing to the medical experts, if anyone wants to be critical of him and FG, keep your powder dry for influenza season, for when FF opens up the country the infections and deaths are gonna surge. This virus wants to spread and kill us it doesn’t give a hoot about your job or the economy.
@Del Boy: Most people don’t die from the virus, stop scaremongering, we get enough of that! BTW I wouldn’t trust Leo as my doctor in a month of Sundays.
@xor: but alot of people do die from it . What’s your point ? Ah well , feck them , as long as me and mine are ok I don’t care . Typical Irish individualism attitude .
@Del Boy: can you please explain how there could possibly be a flu season this winter with social distance, hand hygiene, and vulnerable wearing masks. Remember its only the vulnerable who end up in hospital. All contagious diseases have been largely eliminated in the past 3 months. Eg, there were 200 cases of mumps in February. Hardly any in April.
@Del Boy: scaremongering nonsense – you need to get off social media , start getting out and doing more walks and get your life out of that mindset – there is nothing to indicate that we cannot reopen and then manage the virus in the community until a vaccine is ready – all this nonsense about the how everyone is going to get infected and die is horsesh*t – i wonder will you still be here commenting by Christmas and if you are will you hold your your hand up and admit you were just fear mongering
LV & MM will walk all over ER. Eamon doesn’t seem to be able to see he’s just being used so the other too can get back into power! I really don’t see this agreement lasting very long!
@Colette Kearns: The Green Party membership have to approve any programme for government by a 2/3 majority. That’s not a given. Even some in FG dont want this coalition of the brave. FF are desperate for power and that’s so obvious to all
Supermarkets have provided a real time experiment on what happens when retail is open; nothing bad.
There seems to be an unwillingness on present Govt. and on behalf of Dr. Holohan to learn from this real life experience while putting great store on artificial experiments or projections that may be modelled by people unqualified to do so.
Sure keeping with the times we live in today Thrump Johnson and Martin three of the greatest inconsistent spoofers on the planet who played major roles in digging the deepest black holes for their respective countries
@Criostoir Mac Ranghaill: Explain what Martin did to fit in your comparison with Trump and Johnson, remembering they are the leaders of their respective countries?
@NotMyIreland: Physically Martin has exhausted himself carring a very heavy plank of wood on his shoulder and mentally his evil mind and bitterness towards other politicans leaves his ability to represent people totally in shatters
@Gerard Heery: Primeministers come from the population of a country and are a product of that country. We in Ireland have gotten our political leaders from this countries population. Nothing very bright or original in the population is reflected in not bright or original political leaders.
A few centimetres and the desired pace to maximise the profits of their friends is all that separates both wings of The Triple FG. They couldn’t have a public spat about something important like public health system preparedness for a potential second wave?
1st July is about right for opening up Ireland’s motorways. Another month of ongoing ultra cautious approach should make this possible, based on current fast-falling case numbers.
Hotels, B & Bs, holiday homes all around the country badly needs summer biz to get cash registers ringing again. Many jobs will return, causing covid-19 state supports burden to diminish further, once social distancing protocols continue to be observed.
Having meals, pints delivered to a hotel bedroom, in a pleasant location miles from home would be vast improvement on what currently passes for normal!
Sometimes, being a thinly populated country with hundreds of miles of easily accessible coastline has its advantages.
If FFG and the greens can get this government formed. It will fall when the inquiry to the nursing homes scandal takes place and Simon Harris wont come on well from it. On Simon Harris watch we have had a cervical cancer inquiry. We will have a nursing homes inquiry. And the IMNO are now looking for an inquiry in how so many of their members got Covid-19.
@Seamus Bridgeman: True Harris isn’t up to much but the real issue was to listen blindly to experts. Most of whom are civil servants in one capacity or another. Irish civil servants don’t do responsibility hence the lack of minutes at the health emergency meetings.
In other news irrelevant wanna be Taoiseach is still irrelevant. Honestly how many more u turns do we have to endure before FF finally fall into a historical footnote of the ruination of the country?
We did very well, and I have been impressed with our handling of the pandemic, but now the country needs to reopen.
The tourism industry faces decimation from the lack of overseas visitors this year, and we must encourage people to take staycations in order to salvage something from this.
We cannot do this with the travel restrictions of 5k or 20k and we cannot do this while the hotels, B&B’s and caravan sites remain closed.
We must remain cautious but we must now reopen the economy whilst we still have an economy to open.
@Cormac Harrington: I reckon Leo and Co are aware of that. They are asking Dr Holohan constantly to change his advice but he can only answer in relation to the virus.
A leader needs to check what his own goal is and decide what’s best overall (whatever that’s going to be)
In fairness nobody in the government gave just one thought about the consequences of the restrictions. The plan is randomly opening parts of the country and only roughly by what could cause more risk of infection.
People are sitting in their homes since months. Some people cope well and congrats to them. I’m happy that they are fine but people with mental health issues or other underlying issues have issues with the order or some aspects of the restrictions. Increase domestic violence or number of suicide related calls are indicators that something needs to chance.
Yes, I’m aware, that there is a pandemic. Yes, it’s hard for all and yes, peope died.
Don’t start to pretend that you are doing the lockdown for others if you don’t want to take care of others.
@Paul Cunningham: You couldn’t have better worded that you haven’t read or try to understand that the lockdown is causing issues and parts of it in need of review.
@8-Bit-Relic: The flu kills between 200 and 500 each year in Ireland. I assume those lives don’t matter because we do nothing to prevent the spread of that illness. What’s the number of deaths required for a lockdown?
Hang on a second. Fianna Fail disregarded the economic experts advice in 2007, and we all know how that ended up. Now they want to ignore the medical experts in 2020. Am I the only one spotting a trend here?
Michael Marten, would you ever get my problem solved that I had given to you a good while ago. If you don’t do so now it will never be solved. Please let me know what is happening to my case?
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