Results 38,781-38,800 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Ceann Comhairle said, I do not speak for the Tánaiste. I can apologise on my own behalf but not on behalf of anyone else. It would not be proper for me to apologise for the Government decision because I believe it was the right one. Even if it is not, just like the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, it was arrived at with only one intention, to minimise...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: This pertains to the second part of the Deputy's question. I would like to divide this into process and substance. The substance is what matters. What matters is that we have moved the country to level 3. The debate over whether we should be at level 3 or level 5 is the debate that matters. With regard to the Chief Medical Officer, I have given multiple interviews, had a press...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: Governments are responsible for the decisions they make and I am a member of the Government. There is no ambiguity about that. The much more complex and difficult question is this: what will the outcome of this decision be compared to a counterfactual scenario we cannot evaluate, that is, a move to level 5? I know the Deputy wants to ask another question but I will give him one brief...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I have to consider that if less money is available for healthcare next year because of a move to level 5, that will also have very serious health implications.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. The answer to the first question is "Yes". The Taoiseach and I discussed level 4. The video came from Fianna Fáil.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I would not presume to expect anything. I am not a public health doctor. NPHET has the public health experts so all I would expect of NPHET, which is what it did, was to provide me and the Government with its best assessment of the public health position. That is what it did and it is what we all expect of NPHET. I certainly would not presume that NPHET would do one thing or another; it...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I would not presume to speak for the Tánaiste, who is more than capable of speaking for himself. He answered exactly these questions earlier in this Chamber. The substance of the Deputy's question is whether it was a surprise to me to get a level 5 recommendation on Sunday evening. It was a surprise. For the various reasons I outlined in the speech, we chose to go with level 3....

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I will get to the second question and send the Deputy a detailed note on travellers, if she agrees.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: No, but I will get the Deputy a note on that. On the idea of an all-party forum, I am very open to any forum of engagement. I was asked to be here tonight and I am here. I have appeared before the Covid-19 committee several times.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: Real work can be done in here as well and in a collaborative way. I have seen it happen. On a serious note, I am open to any suggestions the Deputy has. Neither I nor the Government nor any government in the world has a monopoly on how to respond to this virus. Everyone in this Chamber has something to say and I am very open to meeting the Deputy and other Deputies. The more input we can...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy is raising it now and I am telling her I am very open to meeting others.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy said she raised it with the Taoiseach but I cannot speak for him. The Deputy is raising the matter with me now and I am saying I would love to have as much input as possible on a cross-party basis. I fully agree that the more solidarity we have in facing this down, the better.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I will answer the Deputy's questions in full. He described what happened over the weekend as an absolute calamity. It is important that the Irish people hear a different response to that, if I may. NPHET met on Thursday and made a recommendation to Government to stay at level 2. On Saturday, the Chief Medical Officer was talking to various people. He decided to call NPHET together on...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not know who leaked a letter. I do not know who it was leaked to. The Deputy says it was leaked that night. Perhaps it was. What I know is that RTÉ reported about level 5 on the news at 9 p.m. I do not think it got into detail as to what was in the letter so I do not know if RTÉ had the letter. It is possible that RTÉ was simply told that it was level 5. Remember...

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy is in politics, as we all are. Who leaked things and where is unfortunately not something I know but I share the Deputy's frustrations. The Cabinet committee on Covid met with Dr. Holohan, Professor Nolan and Dr. Glynn at 12 noon the next day. We moved quickly. I share the Deputy's frustration about the sense of fear on Sunday night.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: With the greatest respect-----

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: No. I do not know how we define anyone associated with me. I can speak for myself. Neither I nor anyone who works for me leaked that letter.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: No, that is not what we said.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: We did not say they did not change. They changed.

Covid-19: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: There had been an increase. There is exponential growth.