Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

Ireland has half the ICU capacity per capita of the EU average, despite us being one of the richest EU states. Ireland has ONE QUARTER of Germany's ICU capacity per capita. We've known since March 2020 that the biggest issue facing the country is hospital capacity. The whole reason for lockdowns was to prevent the hospitals becoming overcapacity - flatten the curve etc.

So you might assume given the above we'd be throwing euros at the problem, right? Given how many billions lockdowns cost, and how damaging they are to society?

Wrong. In the budget two weeks ago: "The minister said €10.5m has been provided for 19 additional critical care beds in 2022, bringing the total ICU beds next year to 340". Thats not a typo unfortunately. We're planning on adding 1.5 beds a month...

This government is doing everything it can to blame the 5%~ of adults not vaccinated for the crisis right now fast approaching us. But even if we had 99% vaccinated we'd still be facing the same crisis, just two or three weeks later - enough fully vaccinated people are still landing in the hospitals.

Its pretty clear the government initially banked on lockdowns beating covid. And then banked on vaccinations beating covid. So never properly invested in the hospitals when they had the chance. Which has resulted in us now facing another disastrous winter.

It just boggles my mind why no journalists are holding them to account over this. Its one of the biggest failings of an Irish government ever, and nobody in the press has dared to mention it yet.

A government ad there on local limerick radio

"If you enter a bar or restaurant that doesn't check for covid certs then take your business elsewhere"

Happy enough with that choice of words rather than telling people to kick up a fuss or report them. It's all down to individual choice and responsibility now.

He is French is he not, so who was he referring to as "us" ?

As are we. There's a further easing of restrictions being announced shortly.

I 'leave' the country every day. It's about the same in the north. Our nightclubs will be open before theirs.

Our man with the red face won't like that.

Actually hospitality closed at 3pm on Christmas Eve but the numbers didn’t begin to fall until closer to 12am on Christmas Eve, which was round about the same time as Santa arrived. Make of that what you will.

I'm surprised too about this given we recently had a major scandal arising from confusion between Failte Ireland interpretations, and the Attorney General's interpretation (i.e. Merriongate).

I think the ambiguity in this case is a feature, rather than a bug. It lets everybody pretend that they thought they were correct. But you're right, this should be clarified.

It really does need clarification, I personally know two people still fighting insurance companies (one in hospitality)

There's this perception Failte Ireland has statutory authority, it does not, its remit primarily encompasses, Tourism promotion, Training and overseeing standards for businesses registered with it, mainly hotels, B&B"s, indeed few if any pubs nightclubs or restaurants would have been Failte Ireland registered before the pandemic, the only reason they might be now, is only to do with the fact it was a requirement if any business wanted to apply for Government pandemic grant supports.

Michael Mc Namara (who I can't abide) on Morning Ireland expressing serious concerns about the legal standing , basis for new guidelines , apparently he raised this in the Dail yesterday, this coming from a TD who was very, very anti NPHET and lockdowns .

I used to think the same, but tbh, I think there are very few people who genuinely want lockdown.

What we have, and its particularly prevalent on here, is cheerleaders for everything the government say. No matter the line is they tow it, they fall over themselves trying to back it until it changes and then claim that this was always the plan and now will defend the new line. They will jump on and ridicule any poster that is suspicious of government policy. Its all almost as predictable as the politicians false promises.

Well she did have cancer herself so not an unsurprising question.

Yes fair point, I personally don't believe or am aware RTE staff have ever vilified the unvaccinated, but fair to say they've certainly entertained a lot of guests who have, Claire Byrne a perfect example.

I know someone who has worked with Claire Byrne and describes her as an excellent professional but has avoided any of her broadcasts of any shape or size since this began. I always thought she had talent but find this relentless unhealthy obsession with COVID anything but professional. I might even call it deranged myself.