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

Jesus Wept - how old are you? So you don't agree - get over it. Posting like this makes you look pathetic.

It's not exclusively related to the covid situation. We have a very long standing tradition of electing and accepting political reps who are unaccountable and not responsible for anything. So much so, that we accept them setting up committees, advisory groups, tribunals, citizens assemblies ... anything to distance themselves from decision making and so they retain the ability to blame someone else under the guise of 'best advice' or 'expert opinion' received.

A recent 6 0ne TV News interview with Stephen Donnelly was a classic example of how to play this move.... he said that he agreed with NPHET advice and widely supported it.... while completely avoiding several attempts by the interviewer to get him to say that it was now going to be DOH policy under his direction, as minister for health.

He thought he had skillfully retained his option to distance himself from the decisions made, should it become necessary at some point in the future, while in reality he just looked and sounded like an evasive floundering fool.

All I'm saying is he'll have a perfectly crafted response to that. This minutiae is not worth it. They have us arguing details instead of looking at the big picture.

I'm not a fan of him btw quite the opposite and, short version I'm in the "let it rip Sweden style" camp.

That is exactly what is after happening. People talk about boosters and omicron and ventilation, distancing and 9 euro meals and whatnot as if we were 5 million amateur epidemiologists getting bogged down in detail no one has a final answer to anyway.

All the while the plain truth that is in the numbers has been lost from sight. We literally cannot see the wood from the trees anymore.

That's it. Did anyone in government say...hang on, prove that model as the last few you did were shite. If you want us to go along, then you need to provide proof you're right this time or you're gone! Or maybe, they did & government couldn't be bothering their holes to check it independently and said, belt away lads looks good.

My money is on the latter

I swear I recall Varadkar saying that too in the past and it never happened. Could be wrong though.

I had high hopes for Donnelly as well. Always sounded like he knew what he’s talking about. Problem is, his current role has shown that’s all there is to him. He’s articulate and confident but that’s about it. Once you look into his statements or someone questions anything he says, it becomes obvious that he has all the depth of a puddle.

He’s in a position where he could quite easily make that happen if he wanted to. I’m absolutely fed up of people in government - particularly those in senior roles - acting as if they have no say in anything.