Mattie McGrath Demands Full COVID Inquiry, Calls Evaluation a 'Charade'
Mattie McGrath challenged the Taoiseach over the government's handling of COVID-19, calling the planned evaluation a 'charade' and demanding a proper, independent statutory inquiry. He argued the evaluation lacks teeth and warned it would fail to address lives lost, mental health harm and business damage.
Mattie McGrath insisted that Ireland needs a proper, meaningful, independent inquiry with powers of compellability rather than a non-statutory evaluation, saying an evaluation would be "just another cop-out" and a cover up.
He described the proposed evaluation as a charade and an "Irish solution to an Irish problem," arguing it will not allow society to learn from mistakes made during the pandemic.
McGrath referenced "thousands of lives" lost and highlighted the suffering, mental health issues and damage to business and families that he said require full scrutiny and accountability.
During the exchange he referenced a picture of a "Camilla Harris cap" and pressed the Taoiseach on why Ireland would not hold an independent inquiry like other countries. The Taoiseach responded that there was broad engagement with parties, that an independent chair has been appointed, that a non-statutory evaluation by Dr. Gabriel Scali had produced answers, and that Marion Harkin will lead the current process.
Call for a statutory inquiry
Mattie McGrath insisted that Ireland needs a proper, meaningful, independent inquiry with powers of compellability rather than a non-statutory evaluation, saying an evaluation would be "just another cop-out" and a cover up.
Criticism of the planned evaluation
He described the proposed evaluation as a charade and an "Irish solution to an Irish problem," arguing it will not allow society to learn from mistakes made during the pandemic.
Consequences cited for families and business
McGrath referenced "thousands of lives" lost and highlighted the suffering, mental health issues and damage to business and families that he said require full scrutiny and accountability.
Exchange with the Taoiseach
During the exchange he referenced a picture of a "Camilla Harris cap" and pressed the Taoiseach on why Ireland would not hold an independent inquiry like other countries. The Taoiseach responded that there was broad engagement with parties, that an independent chair has been appointed, that a non-statutory evaluation by Dr. Gabriel Scali had produced answers, and that Marion Harkin will lead the current process.
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Transcript
In Ireland and in politics and life, we should be careful what we wish for. I'm looking at a picture that arrived to me here of a tweet that you sent out with a picture of a Camilla Harris cap, baseball cap recently, where you're supporting one side or the other. Taoiseach, I want to ask you, how come it's only in Ireland that we're having an evaluation of the happenings during COVID? In every Eurovision that I'm aware of, they're having a proper independent inquiry. If not in Ireland, across the water and many countries around the world. I attended a major with party leaders in government buildings, before you were teaching, with the last teacher. And the cry that day was, this was nine months ago, that Ireland was to respond to a place we can't really inquire. Thousands of lives were lost. We did some good things. We made terrible mistakes. How are we going to learn from mistakes if we don't have a proper, meaningful, independent inquiry with teeth, with powers of compatibility? This is only a charade, what this evaluation is, and people's lives mean anything, and the suffering and the mental health issues and the damage to business and families and everything else. We need a proper inquiry, not an evaluation. It's just another cop-out and an Irish solution to an Irish problem and cover up again. Taoiseach. The Harris 2024 hat was me trying to give you a helpful tip to get the posters ready this year and not wait till next year. But Sherlock, I'll talk to you. I was just trying to help you, Deputy, but that's okay. That's okay. You have raised an important issue in relation to COVID. There was engagement, as you say, with parties across. I would describe it as good engagement. It predated my time. I was told it was good engagement, and I believe lots of parties made suggestions. There were draft terms of reference. A very excellent independent chair has been appointed. We will need to keep these matters under review. We've had a history in this House of establishing statutory and non-statutory inquiries, and sometimes one has worked better than the others. I would make the point that the Dr. Gabriel Scali evaluation was non-statutory and got answers, and I think it won the confidence of many people who engage with it. So it will be for the next government to continue to monitor this closely. It will be Marion Harkin. Thank you.