Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have heard it all now from a Cabinet Minister: NPHET could be right and might be right. The Minister went on to say that he personally does not believe there will be 7,600 cases and there might be instead 800 cases. What is going on in the Cabinet room? Are the ears completely dúnta? Is the Cabinet going to consult industry 15 months on, having demoralised and destroyed it? Will the Government dispense with the services of Dr. Holohan and NPHET? A cabal, I call them. Will it dispense with NIAC? We have all these unelected experts.

The Taoiseach is accountable to the House and so is the Minister. The Green Party has ten Deputies in this coalition Government and has major sway when it wants to. If the Minister believes NPHET is wrong in its advice, act on that and protect our families and support our people. Ní neart go cur le chéile. Give the young a chance. We have all made sacrifices, including many with their lives and many who became sick. People have put their shoulders to the wheel. We are all in this together. My God, the Government left that a long time ago.

The Government cannot have it both ways. The Minister has said he does not believe it will be as bad as NPHET said. It is playing scaring games. RTÉ and all the media have been paid off handsomely to sell the message of fear to our people. The Government should have respect for our people and not dose them with fear, threats and everything else. Old people are afraid to come out of their houses and go back to mass or shopping. All of the rest of the world has opened up for indoor dining except for us in Ireland. No one believes the Government. It has lost the public, and it has lost them badly.

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