Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 9 September 2020
Special Committee on Covid-19 Response
Covid-19: Legislative Framework Underpinning the State's Response
Mr. Ken Murphy:
The measures for those over 70 were the first ones I was going to go with. I really have to look back over it. It is more in the nature of a general statement because of the profusion of announcements that were being made at a time of crisis. We have to bear in mind that this is also a period when people's antennae are over-extended in terms of the amount of information they are getting. There is also the slightly excitable nature of the audience who are listening.
We are making largely a statement of principle to the effect that what is law and what is not law needs to be distinguished. It is a communications challenge. This is one of the points I was making earlier and committee members will see it as thematic in our submission. We have been supportive of the State and we believe the State did a good job at that time.