Level 5 restrictions to remain in place until at least 5 April, Cabinet sub-committee agrees

@Me Darlin’ Dublin: if your confused can you imagine poor Eamonn the poor man never knows where he is i just wish reporters would leave him alone

@Me Darlin’ Dublin: Agree. Even the Journal can’t be bothered (quite correctly) to separate all the announcements of the same thing into separate articles.

@Fiona Kelly:
Everything Ireland gov does is half hearted
Controlled by EU masters. Look at the brexit mess.

@David Corrigan: Meanwhile 1000′s get a Fiver a week increase.

@David Corrigan: It’s a pity the public can’t review the government’s job on a weekly basis. They might pull the finger out then

@Fiona Kelly: absolutely spot on, well said

@David Corrigan: These Vultures feed on the Country, they pluck and devour the people’s good faith. They are totally overpaid for conveying Civil Servants scripts and advice.
The Parish Pump and “Leave it with ME” politics have always been with us and still are.

@David Corrigan: 100k would pay for 3 extra junior nurses or 3 lower paid clerical officers or 2 1/2 gardai or 2 paramedics (all figures are approximate) or 1 td. Guess who gives the most value for money and are more accountable. Not counting tds expenses or what we pay for cabinet members. Nauseating stuff

@Fiona Kelly: I genuinely think that’s because that’s how the usually do it. Pending on the date or year replace pharma with bank etc

@Dangling Damo: no it wouldn’t.

@David Corrigan: those pieces of cr+p would be overpaid if they got the dole making 100k a notable outrage.

@David Corrigan: They’ve been doing such a great job handling the pandemic they deserve it.

@Séamus Heffernan: Yes. By the end of this year when the worst of this is over, it is absolutely essential we have another GE. The last GE was before the pandemic – things have changed utterly and we need to grade the government on how we think it performed during this pandemic. That’s a very reasonable position.

@Brian Byrne: Wrong. Last February FFG got 43% support, down from 49% in 2016. These are 21 consecutive record lows for this party.

I think a reduction to 35% FFG support is a definite possibility after its handling of the pandemic.

@Cookie: Is a GE not every 5 years? Unless a government party collapsed the government. So I’d say we will be waiting for another GE.

@Cookie: I really hope your right. As always my vote won’t be going to FF or FG. Just sad that it takes the handling of this pandemic to wake people up to the failings of these two parties.

@Séamus Heffernan: You can do it by post also as the rest of the world with common sense has being doing.

@Ger: What law was that ? was that there when the leader of FF attended a funeral or when he laid a wreath ?

@Da Dell: end of June last year at Bobby Storeys funeral. Funerals were supposed to be private with no more than 30 in attendance. When did MM do it?

@Ger: I didnt think there was any laws but regualtions/quidlines. He went to John Humes funeral and waspictured shoulder to shoulder with others, and he went to Eniskillen, then there was other funerals like the Garda and the FG party member …

@Da Dell: so it’s OK for the leader of the party to go if its only “guidelines” she’s breaking? The rules in place in August for John Humes funeral allowed 120 inside the church, so no rules were broken. Are you clutching with the other funerals you mentioned or was he allowed to attend based on the rules in place at the time?

@Ger: Like the leader of FF?

@Ger: Okay so its okay for the Taoiseach to go as it’s only a guideline, he knew it was unsafe at that level, he shouldn’t have went. Much like Mary Lou did, she went when it was just a guideline. Your just proving your own hypocrisy

@Ger: Or would you like to talk about the TDs that went to a golfing dinner and broke the law?

@Ger: No Ger I just highlighting you hypoc ricy as you try to justify some breaking guidelines while blame others. And if you check the latest news, the PSNI have stated that SF did not influence the funeral and that there was a missunderstanding of regulations due to miss communications from the relevant NI authorities as reported in the Indo at the weekend.

@Ger: he isn’t clutching. He made a direct comparison. And as bad as funeral attendance was it is as bad as leaving the borders wide open? Or not investing in contact tracing? Or not keeping an eye on the situation in meat factories? Or Golfgate? Or Leo leaking? Or not paying student nurses? Or going against NPHET advice in December leading to 1000s of deaths and months of lockdown?

@aaron: the Taoiseach went to a funeral when the guidelines were for 120 people inside the church, he stuck to that and so did the church. No rules or guidelines were broken. Mary Lou went to a funeral when the guidelines were for 30 people in total and there was over 1500 people in attendance. What are you on about??

@aaron: yeah and he lost his job as Minister of Agriculture because if it, and rightly so.

@Da Dell: MM didn’t break any guidelines at the time. Are you guys on a different planet? The guidelines for the John Hume funeral said 120 people, that’s how many were there.. That’s a fact, not gaslighting. I asked for the dates of other funerals that you said he attended breaking guidelines and you haven’t provided any. So put up or shut up. I voted SF in the last GE but they have been a disaster in opposition.

@Ger: You keep changing what you are saying first you said laws were broken, so what law was broken in either cases ?

@Aidan O’ Neill: he made a false comparison. One leader broke restrictions in place (Mary Lou) the other leader did NOT break the restrictions on place. Golf Gate had repercussions for the politicians involved. Meat factories were dealt with when they became an issue and that issue was more to do with working conditions and living conditions, hardly the governments fault. And as for the issue over Christmas, that was 100%the fault of the people. People acted like there was no pandemic and they would have ignored any restrictions had they been tighter, you know it and I know it. The only thing I’d agree with you on is the borders should have been more secure.

@Ger: You blame the people 100% , you blame the opposition but you dont blame the Gov .. on Dec 17th NPHET said the third wave was well on its way and advised the Gov not to open up.. Where Im from nobody went mad for Xmass, casue nothing was flipn open anyways, there is only small ‘wet’ pubs that are closed since last March.. Meat Factories have not been dealt with and the main reason borders have not been closed is to allow movement of their employess(slaves).

If FG think the people will accept Leaky Leo the Liar as the next Taoiseach, they’re in for a rude awakening. Forget going to funerals, leaking confidential government documents and lying about it when questioned in the Dail is about as bad as it gets. We absolutely need another general election before this happens.

@Da Dell: And never mind for Johm Humes then you mention the rules for inside the Church when rules were for tota , so if 120 was the total then all outside were in breach of some regulations if what you say is true ..

@Da Dell: yes I initially said laws…. It was pointed out to me that it was guidelines not laws at the time, so I changed to guidelines. I havent “kept changing” anything. So now, you want to tell me when MM broke guidelines to attend a funeral like you claimed he did? I’ve asked you 3 times but you’re still avoiding answering.

@Da Dell: cite your source that the borders have been kept open for employees. Because if that was the case then surely it would only be meat factory employees coming in, right? Also you seem to know that meat factory employees are streaming into the country so please tell us how many have come in and again cite your source on it. Assuming you’re not just making stuff up that is.

@Ger: Listen your self, so said the rules was for 120 for John Humes and you said 120 was in the Church .. well MM was outside the Church standing shoulder to shoulder to others during the service … Also If i remeber correctly the Hume family asked people not to Travel
And i couldnt be asrsed checking now but they all travelled more than 5k, but i dont care about any of them attending any funeral and I dont agrree with the restrictions on funerals

@Da Dell: I don’t know what the numbers allowed were outside, nor do I know how many were outside if any. But how the hell would MM be at fault for that lmao, he was INSIDE! And what I’m saying is true, Google is your friend.

@Ger: Source :-) go look it up youself or ask Leo, do you not remember the charter flights ? a high % of the Brazillians that returned were working in the Meat Plants .. almost all workers in the Meat Plants are non-Irish ..

@Da Dell: and I don’t blame the opposition for the increase in covid cases, I never said i did. I blame the people who packed shops and streets and houses.

@Ger: Im done with this, you are an expert on all the rules and regulations of the Storey funeral for some reason, all the pics in the Media showed MM outside

@Da Dell: No he wasn’t, he was INSIDE with the 120 mourners. Also there was no 5k limit in August. If you’re going to argue you should be “arsed checking”. You’re just making yourself look silly by continuing to post falsehoods and innacuricies.

@Ger: Pot and Kettle, the pics were in the media
I cannot keep with you comments and you changing what you are saying .. posts are all over the place ..
you first went on about breaking laws yeah ?
Lets clear that up them .. NO LAWS WERE BROKEN .. the end.

@Da Dell: in other words you’re talking through your hole. I remember a charter flight for fruit pickers, not meat factory workers. . You haven’t been able to back up anything you’ve said despite me asking you to 5 different times. So I can take it you’re just a spoofer and I’ve wasted enough of my evening on you. Bye.

@Ger: Meat Plant workers and fruit pickers are all in the same situations, meat plant were an example .. there was also construction workers coming from the North. I cant post links so you can google MM at the funeral and you can see the pics youself .. But you keep on flogging the dead horse … takes one to know one .. adious amigo

@Ger: I think it’s time u 2 had a face time or something, sort this out one on one, lol

@John McCann: Those kind of comments are designed to stir divisions of the past and do nothing to help this country progress. Quite the opposite. It’s trademark Leo style politics and it’s a legacy that won’t be remembered kindly by anyone.

@NotMyIreland: Although the other glaringly obvious reason is a vote of no confidence.

@Hugo Bugo: ah I’ve muted him lol. I only have so much patience

@Hugo Bugo: Was thinking that myself!!! All getting very heated over numbers at funerals!!!!!

@GrumpyAulFella: Yes indeed. Straight out of the FG playbook. Attack SF for things they haven’t done or that FG do. Then attack them for things that happened decades ago, all in a vein attempt to gloss over the multiple failures of FG. How’s that strategy working out for you by the way ? As I said, it’s divisive and unhelpful and doesn’t help us progress as a nation. In fact all of does is push more people to vote SF. Will you never learn ?

@Brian Byrne: you saying the other political options would do any better at handling the pandemic. Soc dems and PBP would just blame everyone around them and Sinn Fein would deny a pandemic is happening FG GP & FF would sit back and watch the drama. See the problem is we don’t have options even the independents are a shade of other parties.

@Séamus Heffernan: I heard a theory that the reason we see so little people on the streets in general isn’t the lockdown, but they’re going to slowly let us know that huge numbers of people around the world have died quietly in their homes, but the governments are playing it down, I’m talking holocaust times 10 levels. Maybe even 100. It’s hard to say. This will be even worse than the mental health and suicide epidemic that is already in full swing unfortunately.

We can never go back to normal, it will have to be this way forever. Permanent lockdowns are needed in my humble view.”

@Brian Byrne: so who do you suggest ?

@Da Dell: Keep Up……

@Cookie: God no! We are bad enough as we are without adding fuel to the fire with new muppets trying to make names for themselves!!!

@emer mcdonnell: They’re opening them up with much lower community transmission and with vaccinations in progress. That’s what’s safer

@Thomas O’ Donnell: We’ve vaccinated a few nurses and a couple of old people. How will that have an impact on school transmission rates ?

@Thomas O’ Donnell: they should open them up in rural areas where transmission is low, not built up urban area with higher rates. Having the over 85s vaccinated doesnt make it any safer for my children.

@Thomas O’ Donnell:
https://www.independent.ie/news/new-variant-more-infectious-among-children-trinity-professor-says-schools-only-safe-when-community-is-40117845.html

@Gary Kearney: Prefer it wasn’t Muppets, for a start. Prefer it wasn’t being made up as we went along. Prefer having a plan not just for going into lockdown, but one for safely coming out of it too. Prefer the coming out of lockdown plan to not be an afterthought. Prefer if they at least attempted a feasibility study for any other plans than rolling lockdowns (none have been published, that I know of). Prefer some sense of consistency with regard to communication from our government. Just off the top of my head, Gary…

@Noel Kelly: what other plans are there but rolling lockdowns? I suppose we could:
1.
Go for zero Covid but we would have to close the borders. I thought it might be too late for this but the new variants make me wonder otherwise. If we need to keep new variants out maybe we should just keep all Covid out. We really should have tried this last June.
2.
Try do what UK and Israel did by buying the vaccines first. But it is probably too late for this
3.
Let life continue like before and watch the health service get overwhelmed and a lot of people get very sick and let 1 % of the population succumb to Covid. Since the vaccines are now within touching distance I don’t really think this a great idea.

What are our other options?

@Richard Williamson: Do you genuinely think rolling lockdowns, zero covid, or life as normal carnage are the only options? What can I tell you that a Google search wouldn’t do better? Alternatives exist, and it’s fine if, like zero covid, it’s too late to implement or just unworkable, but the lack of any feasibility studies, or even genuine consideration from government is a concern, at least for me.

@Noel Kelly: what are the other options?

@Noel Kelly: ok so you must have the book that has the detailed plan on dealing with pandemics that the government missed or was it a class maybe even on online course. Every country is making it up as they go along as covid19 is a relatively new virus and eash country has to see how it develops for them as restrictions are relaxed because the populations all act differently and some follow the requirements of the government while others refuse.

@barry moore: Never said I had all the answers. In fact, I said fair enough if the alternatives are unworkable or too late in the game to implement. I said my concern was that we don’t seem to have ever even considered other means, of which others more intelligent and qualified than I have put forward. All this despite the massive negative impact that lockdowns have caused. I have issues with the level of communication and sheer confusion put forth by our government. And sure, it’s a novel virus: we don’t know for sure exactly how it’s going to mutate or what the figures will be or how a general population is going to act. None of this is an excuse for poor crisis planning and management. None of this is an excuse for poor communication. I also find it pretty poor form to argue that someone’s opinion is invalid because they don’t have a qualification. Frankly, you know very little about me, and frankly, I care very little about your opinion of me. You wanna go ahead and assume I’m some Facebook educated keyboard-warrior, you go right ahead.

@Elaine Phelan: so I decided to do a google search on the alternatives to our lockdowns. First on the list is Zero Covid or very similar. Second is “shielding” the vulnerable. If you remember a few months ago the “Great Barrington Declaration” basically sets out that the young and healthy get on with things and the old and vulnerable hide away. When something has to put the word “great” in it I wonder just how wonderful it is….. anyway whilst some of it may make sense it would be like a huge experiment and failure would mean a huge surge and associated destruction. If somewhere else had tried it and it worked … perhaps. It would be a very risky strategy…. I think I’d prefer to wait for the vaccine.

@Richard Williamson: It was drafted in “Great Barrington, Massachusetts”. I’m guessing they had to put the word “Great” in there because that’s the name of the place. Please try harder. But I’ll grant you, the GBD *might* end up a failure, which is why a feasibility and epidemiological study becomes important. But I’m guessing from the snarkiness of your comment you wouldn’t give a sht whether it would work or not. Keep googling though, you may find more.

@Noel Kelly: wasn’t trying to be snarky. I also did say that some of it made sense to me. But there is a huge risk in trying it and no where of that I know has. Perhaps you could argue that poorer countries that can not afford to lockdown are doing this. An article from India recently suggested that infection rates were far lower than expected. However it still looks a very risky course to take. Lockdown is far from a good option but the search for a better one is not over.

@Richard Williamson: But you see, the impression I’ve been getting is that there is no search for a better one. Even mentioning the fact that there are alternatives brings forth “deserved ridicule” and the predictable lazy “well what’s your solution then?”, generally thrown in as a mic drop argument killer. Maybe it is risky, and maybe it’s TOO risky, but the seeming lack of interest in anything other than lockdown is what grinds my gears. I find it sad how many would rather sit on their hands and accept lockdown and all of its drawbacks and damaging side-effects until a vaccine arrives, than even bother asking if there’s a better way. Worse yet, some are even ridiculing and trying to shut down any discourse about it. Not even comment from Gov, or a feasibility and epidemiological study to determine potential risk for alternative strategies.

@Noel Kelly: I will agree with you that shutting down discourse is bad. In fact this debate has become too polarised. I also know we can’t stay locked down forever. Your comments on mandatory quarantine are spot on I think. Of course that only works if we close our northern border and politically does not seem possible. If we want to keep new variants out that seems the only solution. With worldwide travel and movement of people unless borders are carefully monitored variants will spread easily. What we are doing now at the borders is not enough. If variants arrive which the vaccines have no impact upon Zero Covid may be our best solution. I cannot think young people will sacrifice another full year. Perhaps it would not be fair either.

@Gary Kearney: Oh I see. And we magically conjured up the UK variant, or the SA variant, or the Brazilian variant on our own, did we? Amazing what this local transmission you speak of can do…

@Gary Kearney: Your exactly right the ports of entry would be an easy sell. I think action on this issue would help people stick with the restrictions placed upon them. After all why should people be expected to make difficult decisions and do everything they can to stop the virus when our government show repeatedly they do not do 100% of what is possible for them to do. Basically peoples efforts are mimicking the government’s at this stage, half arsed!

@Gary Kearney: complete horseshite – the points of entry quarantine is a pillar of success for the best in class countries – New Zealand ( an island nation ) are best in class – 200 deaths Australia similarly , South Korea , China – pretty much any of the countries that combined a tight monitor and quarantine at airports and ports with an on going test and trace have managed to suppress and control Covid so they could reopen their local economies and and aggressive test and trace led to them being able to reopen local economies – saying that i am blaming airports is either intentionally. missing my point or else being dumb – either way you are missing that a covid plan that has proven to work has always involved tight controls to prevent new infections getting into the community – the UK variant for example -which now accounts for 90% of current cases came in from the UK in past 2 months – and the point is not to leave the people with wiggle room – thats why its called mandatory testing and mandatory quarantine – i do wonder why people like you can’t seem to fathom that there is no shame in admitting we are bad at managing things and theres is nothing wrong with looking at best in class or countries that have done a good job , got good results and seeing what plans did work for them. The fact people in places like China Nz Oz are celebrating new years and living relatively normal lives today compared to our approach should be evidence enough that we have clearly got a lot wrong.

@Gary Kearney: How did the first instance of virus arrive in Ireland? 1.02% from travel? How the he’ll can they know this when they are not remotely close to tracking passengers effectively. Your comment on ‘broken loads of rules’ speaks volumes about your opinion and attitude to this whole mess. And it is indeed a mess we are in.

@Isabella Hickey: Permanent Lockdown and No More Public Gatherings/Schools/Universities ever again is the only route to Zero Covid.”

@Jess Delahunt: the government has been quite literally showering the country with cash for the unemployed for 12 months and that’s your opinion? What else would you want now to go along with your free house, medical and child allowance?

@Big Tel: possibly legislation to support workers who are ill so that they don’t hide their illness simply to keep a roof over their heads and, in the process, spread whatever disease they are carrying. In other countries, such as New Zealand, political leaders showed leadership by taking paycuts at a time when so many were put out of work as a symbol of solidarity. It worked. The people rowed in behind their leaders. Our lot? Well, they gave themselves a raise. Several of them, in fact. New Zealand boosted mental health supports. Our lot slashed them. At a time they have been needed the most. Leadership, fairness and public health. That’s what we want.

@Gary Kearney: how did the best in class countries have a plan ? Covid in Ireland is no different than Covid everywhere else….jesus wept every decent plan i know of…not just health but business , project management , all sorts of plans have to be flexible to accommodate changing situations….utter shiiite to say you can’t have a plan because situations change …..

@Gary Kearney: what have they done to increase hospital capacity and capabilities..12 months on and no perceivable improvements. Waiting lists through the roof for both day and inpatient procedures, no indication of making any serious use of the private hospitals. Issues with hospitals were forecasted from the start..you can have a plan for that Gary!!

@Gary Kearney: it’s called contingency planning

@Gary Kearney: the situation is more or less the same as of a year ago…ONE YEAR…..and here we are…..

@Declan Doherty: Planning is just pure communism and should be avoided so that the free markets can profit from the extreme movements up and down of the stocks and shares and the professional gambler investors can make some money. Just like the horse races. Nothing else matters except making sure that the real money stays offshore. Dublin should be proud of the fact that it’s financial services centre services 40% of the hot money circulating around the planet every day. Go Dublin go!!!