How would you rate the governments performance tackling Covid so far

Away With The Fairies

They have done a mighty job on the close contact and droplet side of transmission.

Not so good with the airborne side of things. Seems to be perfectly ok to not wear a mask if you're distanced from others. Yet they're just breathing out more germs into the air instead of breathing the germs into a mask.

ShineOn7

In other news, water is wet and Friday comes after Thurday

Public losing confidence in Government, Fine Gael TDs tell Varadkar at parliamentary party meeting
The public is losing confidence in the Government and will not put up with the current coalition much longer, the Fine Gael parliamentary party has been warned.

Former minister for rural affairs Michael Ring delivered a stinging criticism of the Government’s handling of the pandemic and told his party on Wednesday night that people are “sick and tired of us”.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/public-losing-confidence-in-government-fine-gael-tds-tell-varadkar-at-parliamentary-party-meeting-1.4494220

Padre_Pio

ISOP wrote: »

Michael Martin is the worst Taoiseach in the history of the state, even worse than Cowen and that takes some doing. Then to add insult to injury, Stephen Donnelly, massively unqualified, in a time of crisis, the minister for Health is one of the great ministries in any country and this clown is at the steering wheel. A complete charlatan and spoofer. Norma Foley in education, making a complete hames of it. the Irish political system is horrendous, like many countries, full of failed secondary school teachers and county councillors

Micheal Martin was going down as the only FF leader never to be Taoiseach, until he was saved at the last second from losing his seat on the sixth count in the GE, and Sinn Fein putting the fear of God into the establishment that they might take power.
He is an absolute snake who's done everything possible to cling onto power.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said his party will not form a “grand coalition” with Fine Gael after the general election.Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil was not interested in such an arrangement.

“That’s our position,” he said.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-miche%C3%A1l-martin-rules-out-fianna-f%C3%A1il-fine-gael-grand-coalition-1.4149063

Leo Varadkar's attack on his rival during RTÉ's Prime Time debate caused a few raised eyebrows when he said: "Putting Micheal Martin back in office would be like putting John Delaney back in charge of the FAI in nine years' time."

ShineOn7

ISOP wrote: »

Michael Martin is the worst Taoiseach in the history of the state

Ah here

Remember this guy?

He bought his own island for fecks sake. Did he do that on legit income? ;-)




Martin is easily second though. Situations like Covid separate the politician men from the boys and Martin is still in Senior Infants wondering what's for lunch today

Stephen Donnelly, massively unqualified, in a time of crisis,

Agreed, he's easily the most disliked politician in the entire country right now

His arrogance is breathtaking and there's not a modicum of experience, intelligence, loyalty ... or anything really to back it up. He's an empty, bumbling vessel

Martin is 100% going to scapegoat him if anything goes really tits up

ShineOn7

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Ah here

Remember this guy?

He bought his own island for fecks sake. Did he do that on legit income? ;-)




Martin is easily second though. Situations like Covid separate the politician men from the boys and Martin is still in Senior Infants wondering what's for lunch today



Agreed, he's easily the most disliked politician in the entire country right now

His arrogance is breathtaking and there's not a modicum of experience, intelligence, loyalty ... or anything really to back it up. He's an empty, bumbling vessel

Martin is 100% going to scapegoat him if anything goes really tits up

Charlie won it on a horse. Or several horses! He was a rogue, but there was something likeable about him, Sweetie.

Padre_Pio

Deleted User wrote: »

Charlie won it on a horse. Or several horses! He was a rogue, but there was something likeable about him, Sweetie.

Just like Bertie.

Padre_Pio

Padre_Pio wrote: »

Just like Bertie.

The pup learned from the old dog!

drunkmonkey

Watch MM shoot down debate by hiding behind NPHET...FF need to go, he's going to do this until his term is finished....very good article in the Irish Examiner that detailed what's going on but it seems to have been pulled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTwu5aXxSBI

Silentcorner

I think FF will be the biggest political losers in all of this...they came into the crisis in crisis themselves, how many ministers did they lose in the first 3 months, was it 3? Full of infighting at the highest levels...

Donnelly obviously negotiated a cabinet seat for his transfer from the SDs, a slick move that will simultaneously end his career...this would have put a load of noses out of joint at the higher levels of FF, Martin has a real crisis on his hands, there are fires every where and he looks like a man who hasn't a clue what to do...he looks like a school teacher who took on too much.

But more than that crisis, the only reason they survived the crash of 2008/2010 was the fact that they are a nationwide political party, they survived by the skin of their teeth, but this time round, their electoral strong holds are going to feel an unmerciful hammering on account of the governments policies, how many rural pubs will never re open, how many towns will see 20% unemployment plus....

The were hammered before because of the Property Market which was hyped by media for 15 years, they surfed that hype and won 3 elections...and then got ruthlessly hammered in the ballot box.

The will be hammered again because the dust will settle on the Covid hysteria, they will be left to be finished off for good.

ShineOn7

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Watch MM shoot down debate by hiding behind NPHET...FF need to go, he's going to do this until his term is finished....very good article in the Irish Examiner that detailed what's going on but it seems to have been pulled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTwu5aXxSBI

First he tore RTE asunder and now this

Without knowing a single thing about him before last week I'm really becoming a fan of this McNamara lad

drunkmonkey

ShineOn7 wrote: »

First he tore RTE asunder and now this

Without knowing a single thing about him before last week I'm really becoming a fan of this McNamara lad

I watched most of the experts at the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response he was chair of, we completely ignored experts in how to manage this cause NPHET, I understand his frustration knowing what he knows.
He's one of the bold boys that doesn't wear a mask, I'd say that's down to him witnessing Carl Heneghan hand Scally his arse on a plate in relation to them.

ShineOn7

drunkmonkey wrote: »

He's one of the bold boys that doesn't wear a mask

Oh

He's a fcuking idiot then. I've changed my mind on him fast

I'll leave it at that, I'm not getting into a mask debate

johnboy1298

Can anyone actually think of an instance where a major issue has come up and the government has actually dealt with it well in the last 15 years? I think Irish politicians are just beyond useless, Covid has amplified it but I don't think they handle any crisis well. I can't think of one difficult decision the government has made in my adult lifetime that has actually been done well.

drunkmonkey

Me neither, he's far from an idiot, there's crazy things happening in the Dáil, no debate, complete hijacking of democracy.
Was going to link to the article from this morning but looks like it's been pulled as well, it's getting a bit redicilolous reading the news then it disappears.

golfball37

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Oh

He's a fcuking idiot then. I've changed my mind on him fast

I'll leave it at that, I'm not getting into a mask debate

That’s not true. I’ve seen him in person wearing one

drunkmonkey

golfball37 wrote: »

That’s not true. I’ve seen him in person wearing one

In the Dáil, MM doesn't have one there either. There's another minister refusing to go to work because of it.
Found it,
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/minority-in-leinster-house-persistently-flout-covid-mask-advice-40125724.html

Ace2007

Silentcorner wrote: »

The will be hammered again because the dust will settle on the Covid hysteria, they will be left to be finished off for good.

So whose going to be in power in the next election, I keep asking the question on here to those slamming the government, and no one will reply.

SF won't put up enough candidates to win the GE outright, because then they will have to deal with this issue, similarly they didn't put enough up in the most recent election, they were positioning themselves perfectly and then COVID hit.

So who does that leave? Are we just going to have no government in place, in which case the current government will continue on and on?

Silentcorner

Ace2007 wrote: »

So whose going to be in power in the next election, I keep asking the question on here to those slamming the government, and no one will reply.

SF won't put up enough candidates to win the GE outright, because then they will have to deal with this issue, similarly they didn't put enough up in the most recent election, they were positioning themselves perfectly and then COVID hit.

So who does that leave? Are we just going to have no government in place, in which case the current government will continue on and on?

How would anyone have the answer, in fairness...we have no idea what SFs strategy is...what we do know is the support for our traditional big three LAb, FF, Fg is tanking...has been for some time which in my view will accelerate after this.

We could very well see a surge in Independents again...we still don't know what the European landscape is going to be after this, interesting times!

Ace2007

Silentcorner wrote: »

How would anyone have the answer, in fairness...we have no idea what SFs strategy is...what we do know is the support for our traditional big three LAb, FF, Fg is tanking...has been for some time which in my view will accelerate after this.

We could very well see a surge in Independents again...we still don't know what the European landscape is going to be after this, interesting times!

And is that not strange to you - they never have a problem doing up alternative budget strategies no matter how off the wall some of them may be. Why not now come out with their own strategy on living with Covid? Is the reason perhaps that they agree with the majority of the decisions, but can't let their supporters see this and hence it's easier to say nothing and let FG/FF/Greens take the heat?

Silentcorner

Ace2007 wrote: »

And is that not strange to you - they never have a problem doing up alternative budget strategies no matter how off the wall some of them may be. Why not now come out with their own strategy on living with Covid? Is the reason perhaps that they agree with the majority of the decisions, but can't let their supporters see this and hence it's easier to say nothing and let FG/FF/Greens take the heat?

Ya..correct.

They don't have to do anything really...

The strategy I was referring to was their seat strategy next time out, they could fight every seat in the country or they might not, none of us have any idea.

quartz1

These shower have been a shambles from Day 1 and sadly I helped elect them with my votes. It occurs to me that the issue with the virus is that it's unforgiven and if you don't handle it properly there are immediate effects and the cause and effect are immediate. All the mistakes are now clearly visible in hindsight ..the Italian fans arriving last March , the lack of testing and tracing and worst of all the pre Christmas opening which cost so many lives. When the next election arrives and its mayby four years from now I dont know who I will vote for but it won't be any of those three parties and every day I spent frustrated I renew that pledge to myself even if I am only one person

drunkmonkey

Are people impressed with SF, I'm not they've been very quite and haven't offered any alternative, Leo seems to be the only one capable of challenging level 5, he'll want business back in April, signalled as much in the q&a last night.

jcon1913

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's not that they haven't put it in place, per se. Public health has been chronically underfunded by the DoE/HSE and they only have the resources to go back 48 hours rather than to actually try to identify the source.

There are a lot of underemployed civil servants and people on PUP who could have been mobilised to do this work.

A 16 year old scout troop leader could have organised that with a few mobile phones and the odd empty community hall.

That’s what’s really annoying- this point above and many other steps should have been taken.

The government got a fools pardon at the start of this ( once in a century pandemic blah blah blah ) but one year in that excuse is gone.

drunkmonkey

quartz1 wrote: »

All the mistakes are now clearly visible in hindsight ..the Italian fans arriving last March

If your going to mention the Italian fans you need to mention the Global Alcohol Policy Conference in March that brought in 300+ people from across the globe, Harris was a speaker, Tony and Scally also in attendance.
As the Minister for Health he really should have known better, https://merrionstreet.ie/en/news-room/releases/minister_for_health_opens_the_global_alcohol_policy_conference_in_dublin_castle.html

Ace2007

Silentcorner wrote: »

Ya..correct.

They don't have to do anything really...

The strategy I was referring to was their seat strategy next time out, they could fight every seat in the country or they might not, none of us have any idea.

I don't think they will want to fight for every seat in the country - will they want to be the party that introduces extra taxes or cut to public spending to pay for this mess? Will they risk increasing corporation tax and dealing with any potential issues that may bring.

As you say the landscape is changing. But what people should be demanding is that any TD or individual looking to be elected want to go into Government and is willing to make it happen, instead of doing what Alan Kelly did within 24 hours of becoming leader - stating Labour would not go into government. It's easy to sit on the outside than at the table making the hard decision.

Is it fair or right that FG or FF can categorically state before an election that they won't go into government with SF regardless of what the people vote for? Equally is it right that SF can come out and say they will only go into power if they are the majority? We seem to be ok we taking these threats by the parties and just rolling along with it.

Ultimately come the next election, either FG or FF will be in power, simply because SF won't put themselves in a position to win outright imo, and/or the smaller parties like labour for instance won't go into power with them, and hence we have stalemate.

Wanderer78

Started okay, but it's been gradually plummeting, you can see they've no real clue in how to deal with the psychological elements of the pandemic

VinLieger

MM just told the FF parliamentary party that we might see a move from 5km to 10km restrictions for the April 5th. Why is he telling the parliamentary party this when he knows it will leak thus confusing the issues? Especially only a day after addressing the nation and making no mention of this at all?

He was literally complaining how he didn't understand why people said there were communications problems and then he goes and does this? The mans a simpleton.

is_that_so

VinLieger wrote: »

MM just told the FF parliamentary party that we might see a move from 5km to 10km restrictions for the April 5th. Why is he telling the parliamentary party this when he knows it will leak thus confusing the issues? Especially only a day after addressing the nation and making no mention of this at all?

He was literally complaining how he didn't understand why people said there were communications problems and then he goes and does this? The mans a simpleton.

Leo does the same, it's just keeping the party in the loop on thinking. There's no promise in that and 10km seems even more arbitrary than 5km. In Martin's case it's how all about how he frames it, he's a worrier whereas Leo is chatty and tends to be far more positive about everything.

malinheader

VinLieger wrote: »

MM just told the FF parliamentary party that we might see a move from 5km to 10km restrictions for the April 5th. Why is he telling the parliamentary party this when he knows it will leak thus confusing the issues? Especially only a day after addressing the nation and making no mention of this at all?

He was literally complaining how he didn't understand why people said there were communications problems and then he goes and does this? The mans a simpleton.

I wonder by April 5th will they have a proper quarantine service set up for the tens of thousands entering the country. Should of been implemented strictly before vaccine roll out. Simpleton is correct.

beggars_bush

malinheader wrote: »

I wonder by April 5th will they have a proper quarantine service set up for the tens of thousands entering the country. Should of been implemented strictly before vaccine roll out. Simpleton is correct.

Would like to see a breakdown of where arrivals are coming from
And how many of them are returning Irish residents