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The Taoiseach met privately with the two top health officials in the state ahead of a crucial meeting of coalition leaders on Covid-19 restrictions today.
Micheál Martin consulted with the Medical Director, Dr. Tony Holohan, and the Deputy Medical Director, Dr. Ronan Glynn, prior to the larger meeting of political leaders.
Dr. Holohan and Professor Philip Nolan, Chairman of the Irish Epidemiological Models Group, gave a presentation on their concerns about the rapid growth of Covid-19 to political leaders ahead of tonight’s meeting. It involves the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath.
It is understood that the executive director of the Health Services Executive (HSE), Paul Reid, also briefed the political leaders before their meeting.
In a tweet this morning, Reid said he had been in contact with hospital managers and consultants, and the comments he received indicated that they were “coping but under pressure,” “trying to protect non-Covid care,” and that there was a concern. on staff contracting the infection in communities “at a key moment when we need them”.
Reid added: “Public actions are key now to keep all services running.”
The developments come as high-level TDs in government parties raised concerns about the possibility of moving to Level 5. Barry Cowen, TD Offaly and former agriculture minister, tweeted Friday that the state should “retain Level 3 , work with it, implement adhere to it ”.
He added: “Going to 4 or 5 is running and hiding from Covid.”
Senior Cabinet officials have privately indicated a deep concern about moving to Level 5, with the impact on the economy first on their minds. There are also concerns that the recently announced restrictions have not had a chance to adapt, and that there could be a conflict with the teachers’ unions if the schools remained open.
James Lawless, the TD for Fianna Fáil of Kildare North, told The Irish Times on Saturday that if Level 5 is introduced, the oversight of the school system by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) should increase by doing Covid -19 a notifiable disease. Once a reportable illness case is submitted to the HSA, an inspection follows, he said.
I spoke to our hospital managers and consultants now. Feedback, 1. Coping but under pressure. 2. Trying to protect non-Covid care 3. Concern that staff will contract viruses in communities at a key time when we need them. Public actions are key now to keep all services running. @HSELive
– Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin)
October 17, 2020
“While transmission among students remains low, schools are also a workplace and the relevant legislation needs to be amended to make Covid-19 a mandatory reportable event. We have tens of thousands of teachers on the front line and they deserve the same protections as other industries, ”Lawless said.
While the overall cabinet mood is against a move to level 5, some sources indicated on Friday that an increase in restrictions may meet less resistance at the cabinet table due to circulating virus levels.
On Saturday, government TDs expressed conflicting views on the possibility of going to level 5. A Fine Gael TD said the government is “damned if we do it and damned if we don’t, the virus is getting out of control, yes the trend continues there, there may be no other option ”.
A Fianna Fáil TD said that the measures introduced during the week should have a chance, and that the impact of the Level 3 restrictions introduced in recent weeks will only become apparent this weekend. The TD said the government should wait, but review the situation in the middle of next week.
It is understood that Marc MacSharry, Fianna Fáil’s TD from Sligo-Leitrim, sent an investigative paper of his own to the Taoiseach and Mr. Donnelly during the week.
The research article, which MacSharry wrote based on publicly available data, advocates a return to Level 2 restrictions with an emphasis on certain “golden rules” advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO), including avoiding environments crowded closed, social distancing and use of mask.
It raises concerns about the impact on the hospitality sector in particular, and describes the arguments that virus mortality is largely limited to older cohorts and those with underlying conditions. The document aims to contribute to the debate on restrictions, rather than polarize it, a source said.
Meanwhile, Colm Burke, Cork North Central’s Fine Gael TD, said he was concerned about the impact on small businesses. “There are certain businesses that will not reopen if we go to level five,” he said. “It’s okay if your company has surplus funds, but if you have a company that has no surplus funds, that’s the problem.”
Mr. Burke added that “we will probably have to seriously consider moving to Level 4.”
Another former minister, Michael Ring, described the proposed change as a “cruel, cruel” move. It is cruel to the elderly, cruel to the young, cruel to people with mental illness and cruel to people who are waiting for all kinds of operations, ”said veteran TD de Mayo.
“The closure has affected many companies, many jobs. People are depressed. They are depressed and depressed.
“The government is handling it badly now. We have to make both political and medical decisions, “he said.
“My recommendation is that we should go back to Level 2, where we at least have a little normality.”
Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil’s TD for Dublin Bay South, also questioned the wisdom of the move on Friday.
He said that going to Level 5 is not “living with Covid” and urged that the Government “wake up” to the impact of the measures.
“It is, in effect, a blockade,” he said. “When deciding which level to move to, we must take into account the repercussions of moving to level 5. It will have a very negative impact on young people’s lives and mental health.”
“At some point we have to realize the damage we are inflicting on the lives of young people. Their education, employment, hobbies, entertainment and relationships have been hampered or severely damaged by the restrictions, and they will be further damaged if they go to level 5. “
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