Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

If you do the GNI comparison, Ireland has come through the pandemic as one of the top of the OECD:

National income - Gross national income - OECD Data

UK had an awful time (likely Brexit related), Denmark had growth in 2020 whereas Sweden was flat. Again, this is one of the reasons why everything is being done cautiously, compared to most economies, Ireland has been in rude health. It also means whatever euro zone stimulus is put in place post pandemic, Ireland will be in a great position to take advantage.

(of course, government and budgetary policy affects these numbers greatly as well, maybe the self-committed hari-kari of Brexit by the UK has driven our growth).

Most opinion polls support the current measures and they enjoy opposition support for them, having an election or referendum on them would be pointless, the election would be fought on every other policy and no one has said what the referendum would be on, adding so they can implement passes (that's already there, so why a referendum?) a referendum that they can't use passes when every party already supports them? Why would the Dail ever vote for that, it's a complete waste of time.

So you’re stating that the Covid Certs are here to stay? Without any mandate for them? The election occurred before the pandemic. If Covid Certs are intended on staying, they need to go to the people one way or the other. Also your declaration of ‘most people’ supporting them doesn’t wash. They’re completely unscientific & do not stop Covid spreading. Why would people want to accept their participation in society being conditional on a QR code the Government / EU can turn off at any moment.

Again, revisionism, just a few short weeks ago procedures were being cancelled because of pressure on the system, a lot of that pressure coming from unvaccinated patients.

I've no doubt Omicron will change those figures going forward but that doesn't rewrite the past problems, the data is clear as day from the CSO.

I've no doubt we'll have a bunch of people trying to paint things with Omicron are as they were with Delta, that is not the case.

Biggest take away from this us that 5 thousand halfwits thought it a good idea to upload meaningless results.

Compared to 937 last Saturday night. We've pretty much peaked on hospital numbers.

We live in a representative democracy, as do most countries (California and Switzerland are 2 examples of direct democracies where the people can vote on multiple initiatives).

But look, follow your logic through, what referendum question would you ask?

What does holding a general election do when the issues at the top of voters minds are everything but the COVID certs? If there was an election tomorrow, which party would you vote for to enact your policies around COVID certificates?

You're on a discussion forum, discuss what the consequences of your plan of action would be? (I mean, from an opinion poll perspective, they would pass by a landslide greater than almost all previous referenda, is that what you really want?).