Paul Murphy warns of 'big gamble' over Delta quarantine
Paul Murphy challenged the Taoiseach over recent Covid reopening decisions and the absence of mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from England, Scotland and Wales, calling the approach a "big gamble". He warned that the gamble could lead to higher infections, long Covid, extra deaths and delays or reversals of planned reopening.
Allegation of a risky reopening
Paul Murphy said the biggest gamble was reopening at the end of November last year and argued that decision "did not pay off." He accused the Government of taking another big gamble now in relation to the Delta variant by resisting mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers from England, Scotland and Wales.
Potential health consequences
He warned that if the gamble fails, the country could face a crisis - including negative consequences for people's health, more long Covid cases and extra, unnecessary deaths. He said planned steps such as indoor dining and pubs due to reopen at the start of July might need to be delayed or even reversed.
Demand for political accountability
Paul Murphy asked whether the Taoiseach would take responsibility and "own up" if the decision led to a need for renewed restrictions, saying people would be hard to convince of another lockdown if the Delta variant became dominant in a few weeks.
Government response and public health advice
The Taoiseach replied that the Government was not taking a gamble and had followed public health advice. He said they moved to Level 3 in November on advice, that there was no modelling at the time for the scale of the third wave or the Alpha variant, and that the most recent advice rated reopening internal hospitality in early July and travel on 19 July as low to medium risk. He added the situation would be kept under review and that the last seven days had been better than the previous seven.
Engagement with the HSE on maternity concerns
The Taoiseach said he had spoken to the HSE Chief Executive and that the HSE manages hospitals and issues clinical guidance. He said he would engage again with the HSE about comments made in the House that morning.
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Thanks, Count Corlea. Teachta, you have made a number of big gambles in relation to the management of the Covid pandemic. The biggest, of course, was the decision to reopen at the end of November last year. And to put it very mildly, those gambles did not pay off. You are taking another big gamble now in relation to the Delta variant. We hope that that gamble pays off. We hope that we are able to achieve sufficient levels of full vaccination, in particular of the vulnerable groups, before the Delta variant becomes dominant here. But if the gamble does not pay off, and that is the gamble not to introduce mandatory hotel quarantine for those coming from England, Scotland and Wales, well, then we are going to be in a crisis situation. There are going to be negative consequences in terms of people's health, in terms of long Covid. There are going to be extra, unnecessary deaths. And we are going to be in a situation where not only might reopening, currently scheduled, in terms of indoor dining and pubs for the start of July, have to be delayed. But we may be in a situation where things have to be reversed. Obviously, nobody wants us to be in that situation. But if we are in that situation, Taoiseach, will you take responsibility for the decision you have made now? And will you own up to it at that point in time? Because I think people will be very difficult to convince that we need to go for another lockdown to stop the Delta variant. But that is, unfortunately, the position we might be in, in four or five or six weeks, if the Delta variant becomes dominant. Because we haven't done what we could do right now to try and slow the spread. I don't take gambles on this, Deputy Murphy. You shouldn't personalise it to the degree that you seem intent on doing. We took advice to move to Level 3 at the time in November. We moved to Level 3, and there was no modelling, in terms of the third wave, of the scale of what happened, or indeed, in respect of the then Alpha variant, the B.1.1.7. We're not taking any gamble in relation to the Delta variant. We've taken on board the public health advice in respect of the reopening of society. We were advised at the most recent meeting that it was low to medium risk, in terms of the opening up of internal hospitality in early July, and the travel on the 19th of July. We will keep this under review. So far, the last seven days have been better than the previous seven days. But we're still keeping it under review. We're not taking anything for granted. We're conscious of the risk there. We need to move on now. I'm afraid we're out of time. So we need to go to question number four. Just on the maternity, again, I have spoken to the Chief Executive Officer of the HSE. The HSE runs its organisation. The CEO and the management team deal and work with the hospitals across the country, in terms of the guidelines that have issued, the clinical guidance that is issued from the HSE. And that's the proper way for it to happen. And I will engage again with the HSE, you know, in respect of comments that have been made in the House this morning. Kind of weird.
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