Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

Have you actually looked at the membership of NPHET?

No psychologists. No sociologists. A man in charge of the modelling that drives everything (Nolan) who has 20 years experience (as a university administrator) who has been ridiculed by established scientific professionals. Including most recently an NPHET sub-group whose work he very publically contradicted, who actually have legitimate credentials.

Holohan. Who told people 21 months ago it was fine to visit nursing home while staff there were trying to protect residents.

Glynn and de Gascun, who together with Nolan somehow manage to be on record as telling three different stories which are all contradictory, yet even more impressively none of which are true.

Ah come on, you can't be serious! What kind of communist utopia do you see us living in??

Do you not think there has been enough state control, enough finger pointing, enough divide and conquer!! And now you're finger pointing some perceived "protected category." Some poor aul fella with his life savings and his house that he worked all his life to pay for, perhaps?? What a horrible idea.

We've all suffered hugely in this pandemic, young and old, let's not make it worse by turning on each other like vultures! Let's hope and aspire to a post pandemic life of less state interference and greater respect for individual rights be they financial, civil or social.

Putting 2 jabs in the arms of people in African countries will end it faster than 3 jabs in Irish arms

Well, whatever about NPHET, at least he government are doing a stellar job - in managing to unite you, in a way.

Having been a complete shitshow for the last 20 years and failed to invest in health, housing, or infrastructure, contributing to most of this, they've still managed to divide people in the middle of an unprecedented modern crisis.

This pandemic has laid bare that we do not have a functioning democracy. Neither of the "main" party leaders has any credibility, and none of the opposition has any practical answer beyond "try us" populism, which is seductive but ultimately more of the same.

We also don't have a functioning media - RTE is 60% what's on RTE this/last week, and 40% "news" which won't affect any TV license adjustment; the Indo is a marginally less offensive clickbait focused version of the Daily Mail, and the Irish Times is struggling to decide if it's "conservative" or "woke". The notion of unopinionated news seems to be a relic from the early 2000's.

And so with no actual news, or good-faith election detail, we don't have an informed electorate. Just idiots like me ranting online with no verifiable detail to base their vote on.

Sorry, this should probably be in politics but one thing really bugging me is how we've had 18 months of "in it together" from politicians who really obviously do not care, enabled by a media focused on selling fear.

It wouldn't solve it immediately and it's not just Pfizer... At one point the British were importing AZ from India... Absolute madness!

The event is cancelled but people will gather anyway, better to have them gathering outside than in their homes I'd think!

At the moment yes, questionable if it will still be that way by Stephens Day mind

Hearing rumors that Munster V Ulster at the start of January will be moved to Belfast to take account of the maximum crowd (and the limerick fixture will be later in the year)

A hard sell?

Tony doesn't have to sell anything, he dictates and it happens, regardless of that the proletariat thinks.

If Tony wants a lockdown then he will get a lockdown.

Nolan is a career academic admin, literally the worst type possible.

He has been crying wolf for the best part of 2 years, churning out preposterous model/scenario after model yet he is somehow still in his role.

Is there no accountability, if anyone in industry was continuously wrong and wrong by such a huge margin, they would be sacked.

Jobs for the boys.

It staggers me that most people still don't see this. It's a tool now.

Orange or blackcurrent?

Prefer Ribena myself 😁

Have they thus far?

Well I suppose they have. Those models and exceptional concerns are undeniable

I'm no fan of SF at all and I think they'd be disastrous for FDI and any middle earner in this country as they'd try to further expand the welfare state - but it's hard to know what they would do as they have no real positions (except on NI/UI which let's face it, most people here don't really care about beyond romanticism).

They are entirely populist and will say whatever they think will get them more votes which at the moment is to just be against anything the Government says, whether it's right or wrong.

I had to turn him off fairly quickly..

And the soft hands from Shane Coleman... He's obv angling for an advisor's gig. All far too cosy between the Irish media and Irish politicians.

The little "Irish language" bit between them at the end was just cringeworthy. We know Coleman loves the topic but it was just so transparently sycophantic

99% of the listeners probably hadn't a notion about the few sentences they exchanged, and even less care. I'm sure they were far more interested in the plans post-Christmas which of course we didn't get but we all know what'll happen when Tony and co get more "concerned"

Another Pandemic prick incoming on Newstalk, Pete Lunn, god this guy drives me mad with his utter nonsense, not helped by an accent that reminds me of the wicked witch from the wizard of Oz 😬🙄

For a man who was supposed to be removing himself from the media limelight and running communications past the government press office, I have seen more pictures of Tony holohan in the last two days than I've seen of my entire family through my whole life.

Show me grave concern Tony, lovely, lovely. Now show us stark warning face, beautiful.