Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

People around the country are deeply concerned today. They are worried about the impact of the virus on their health, jobs, children's education and communities. They wonder if the small measure of normality that had returned in recent weeks is being snatched away and, if so, for how long. They are deeply concerned about the ability of our overburdened healthcare system to cope with the onslaught of cases. They wonder why, given the scale of the crisis in our hospitals, the HSE has yet to deliver the 350 hospital beds that were promised for ICUs.

The people are losing faith in the Government's ability to manage the response to the pandemic. They are concerned about the indecision and delay in the Government's response. Antigen testing has been promised for months but has yet to materialise. Ventilation has never been a priority, despite this being an airborne disease and ventilation being among the best weapons in the fight to suppress its transmission.

The roll-out of boosters has been painfully slow with little clarity on timelines for when the various cohorts will receive it. At the start of the crisis, Mike Ryan of the WHO gave some sage advice. He said, "speed trumps perfection" and "perfection is the enemy of the good when it comes to emergency management". That lesson seems to have been lost. Simple and effective measures, like antigen testing at schools, have not yet been rolled out. The overwhelming evidence that boosters would be required as part of the mitigation strategy has not been acted upon swiftly.

The Taoiseach and the Government have consistently highlighted personal responsibility and have said the onus is on people to limit their contacts and act responsibly, and that is certainly true. However, he has consistently downplayed the State's responsibility to manage the overarching response. Individuals cannot authorise antigen testing in schools, organise subsidies for antigen testing or institute a nationwide booster campaign. Individuals cannot mandate vaccination guidelines for workplaces or air purification systems in schools. Individuals cannot deliver additional hospital beds. Individuals cannot reintroduce the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, for those who are likely to lose their jobs, even temporarily. All this work must be done by the Government. The Government has been sadly lacking and has taken its eye off the ball.

When will the booster campaign be scaled up? Will the Taoiseach give specific dates as to when each cohort will be dealt with? Why has it taken so long to roll out antigen testing, which is a no-brainer? The Taoiseach has failed to prioritise ventilation. When will he redress that? Will the PUP be reintroduced for people who lose their jobs?

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