Covid 19 Part XXV-44,159 ROI (1,830 deaths) 21,898 NI (598 deaths) (13/10) Read OP

OscarMIlde wrote: »

No one 'wants' a lockdown.

I actually think there are a small number of people, unwell people, who do.

caveat emptor wrote: »

Leo doing his best to play to the gallery. As he said he’s a politician first. MM has staked his premiership on keeping schools open.
Leo needs him to fail.

MM needs no help in that regard, he’s playing a blinder as it is!

I can understand the anger from Leo. The Government have staked a lot on bringing back schools and on the living with Covid Plan. We then had Tony H come in and run an emergency meeting on a Sunday and tear up the Govt strategy by insisting on the whole country moving to a lock down without any notice. NPHET put a gun to the head of Government and handled badly it could well have led to an election and indeed may well still do so. So yes he had a right to be furious.

Happydays2020 wrote: »

I can understand the anger from Leo. The Government have staked a lot on bringing back schools and on the living with Covid Plan. We then had Tony H come in and run an emergency meeting on a Sunday and tear up the Govt strategy by insisting on the whole country moving to a lock down without any notice. NPHET put a gun to the head of Government and handled badly it could well have led to an election and indeed may well still do so. So yes he had a right to be furious.

Gun to the head of government?

Gimme a break.

They're there to give advice.
They gave their advice.
Govt rejected it.
Then Varadkar went on national TV and thrashed them.
End of story.

Peter Flynt wrote: »

Gun to the head of government?

Gimme a break.

They're there to give advice.
They gave their advice.
Govt rejected it.
Then Varadkar went on national TV and thrashed them.
End of story.

They put the country into a state of panic Sunday might without consulting anyone in government.

Someone needed to pull them up on that.

Seems a lot of people want this plan to fail and we go to level 5 just to stick it to Leo.

The opposition want to grill government for not going with NPHET to Level 5. I'm sure they'd also have raised blue murder had we gone to Level 5. Time to cut out trying to score political points.

MrMusician18 wrote: »

That was a below the belt remark from Varadkar, a particularly appalling one.

The way he said their answer to government concerns was ''that's a political decision'', as if that was a heartless comment from NPHET, is shameful. This is suggesting NPHET are callous for literally doing their job. The political decision is indeed his, and the government's, job.

If you're not able for the 'political decision' then get off the pot. Airing his own personal annoyances on national television doesn't help anyone but himself, and completely undermines public confidence in the national public health authority in the middle of a global pandemic.

I have no issue with the government deciding level 3 is better for the country now than level 5. I do have major issues with the Tánaiste going on a solo run and behaving the way he did on television.

So NPHET couldn't guarantee government that level 5 restrictions for 4 weeks would be enough so went with level 3 for 3 weeks? And for not having a back up plan, what's the government's back up plan if level 3 restrictions don't work?

https://twitter.com/RTENewsPaulC/status/1313377716104818688?s=19

Deleted User wrote: »

Mary Lou pretty much said on Newstalk this morning that she would not have gone to Level 5 thier

Really? Ok, that's interesting.

Royal Legend wrote: »

There was no need for Leo to put the boot in last night, that the Government rejected Level 5 was enough. Houlihan did make the mistake of going on what looks like a solo run on Sunday and I think he has done this before in regards to the 100,000 tests a week comment a few months ago which rattled the Government at the time and senior civil servants.
I would imagine that Houlihan has came back and has not seen any progress in the background and is trying to push to get things done more effectively.

by the way I laughed at Leo's comment about the people in NPHET would not be effected by any decision made in relation to redundancies, closures etc, is that not the pot calling the kettle black?

He made the points that others were thinking, that this decision came out of nowhere and is far too narrowly focused. People like that plain spoken approach about him. The good thing is now we have been warned so subsequent levels will be a lot easier to apply.

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

The opposition want to grill government for not going with NPHET to Level 5. I'm sure they'd also have raised blue murder had we gone to Level 5. Time to cut out trying to score political points.

It's been a very frustrating time for them, being reduced to bystanders who just shout really loudly at times.

is_that_so wrote: »

People like that plain spoken approach about him.

That's great that some people can feel happy about him venting on TV.

What other positive effects will that interview have for anyone other than Leo Varadkar, to counterbalance all the negatives it will bring?