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

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.

Was happy to hear this morning how my aunties and uncles will be going to my parents house on Christmas day for drinks like they have done for as long as I remember besides last year.

Two of them are vulnerable and are very pro restrictions well as far as I am aware they have been since this started.

It's great to see, people have done what was asked and got the jab and who knows for how many people this is their last Christmas.

Asses your own risk people and spend time with family if you want to.

Don't let a cautious and permanently concerned dictator tell you how to spend Christmas.

Shush. That doesn't "suit the narrative".

We need to keep up the outrage.

Anecdotal second-hand stuff about pubs in Dublin, yesterday was better business than a full Monday and phones hopping with people looking to book this week. City centre absolute madness it seems.

Top of the agenda, the only item really on the agenda for SF is a United Ireland. By whatever means required and to hell with the cost. Every other policy of theirs is subservient to this holy grail. Be very afraid.

Oh I completely agree... as we've seen several times in recent times, people here don't want to pay for it and can't even agree on the idea of respecting (some of) the traditions of Unionists which we'd absolutely need to do if we wanted them to feel included and part of the process (as opposed to the "we won, **** you" attitude that has been expressed)

Then there's also my default point... we can't even manage the country we have, let alone taking on the problems up North and the new ones that would arise. Plus, other than romanticism and "beating the Brits", what advantage would there be to the citizens down here? I can see why many of those in NI would want it - retaining access/membership of the EU would be a big driver - but what would those in the Republic get out of it? More taxes? A further split/diluted Dail? Less resources to go around?

But I digress... there's many reasons why SF should never be in Government but primarily because they have no other agenda or policies beyond whatever is populist. They would be a disaster - we've already seen the result of these approaches through FF/FG

As for their Covid response... again, what have they proposed beyond a default "whatever is opposite to the Government's position"?

That's how the vast majority of interviews with public figures work anyway. It gives them a chance to answer the questions well.

It would if enough of them would take the jab. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case. We see that here in Europe, where even in other European states citizens are refusing to take the vaccines for various reasons. The vast majority of which being from getting their information from such "reliable" sites as Facebook, Twitter and website grifters. Many countries in Europe are also suffering from this with those of their citizens or immigrants getting their advice from their own previous home country relations based on the same "reliable" sources as well. Even Romania ended up selling 1 million of their allocated vaccines to Ireland because of low take-up.

How anyone is going to change that, I have no idea, but right now it is what it is and it does not make a great case for any country not to avail of the boosters and donating them to others until they sort out their own population hesitancy.

This is a great site for looking at UK hospitalization date (which we know is far more important than case numbers):

The number of patients on ventilators as of 2 days ago was 879, and is stable or declining. This is down from 1023 at the start of November, or 1055 in September, when there was no talk of restrictions. And Omnicron is already the dominant strain in the UK, they're at least a week ahead of us.

In South Africa, where omnicron has been around for at least a month, hospitalization rates are only 34% that of the Delta wave. And cases have already peaked a week ago and have declined by 65% since:

https://data.spectator.co.uk/category/south-africa

In Ireland our number in the ICU has declined from a peak of 132 a month ago to 102 as of yesterday - a 23% decline. Numbers in hospital have declined in the same period from 685 to 483, a 33% decline.

So why is it all we're hearing is talk of new restrictions, and not talk of rolling back the current ones if hospitalization numbers continue to be stable/declining? Its mind boggling. All we're hearing is predictions of tens of thousands in hospitals, and further lock downs, but the data doesn't support that in any way - in Ireland, the UK, or South Africa...