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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said that Ireland has been “the slowest in Europe” in reopening society and that this has been a “wise” approach.
Martin was speaking amid rising cases of Covid-19 in the country, with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly saying there will be about 1,200 new cases confirmed today.
Donnelly was speaking as the Seanad debated legislation that would reopen indoor hospitality for the first time this year but for fully vaccinated or Covid-recovered persons only.
The legislation has passed the Dáil and the government is hoping it can complete its passage through the Seanad today and be signed into law next week.
The government’s plan is that the new rules would be in place for the following weekend.
Present today at the opening of 32 new homes in Sandyford in Dublin, the Taoiseach was asked about whether it was wise to ease Covid-19 restrictions as cases of Covid-19 rise steadily.
“We must keep everything in perspective, the broad messaging from public health we’ve adhered to,” he said.
That’s not going to be the make or break issue here, the issue is a very highly transmissible variant. We’ve been slowest in Europe in terms of reopening society, I think wisely. We’ve been cautious.
Martin said that reopening has been a gradual process that has included “very careful guidelines” along each stage.
The Taoiseach added that, as the country continues to deal with the pandemic ,”it is important that everybody is careful”.
“Personal behaviour matters, social distancing, mask-wearing in crowded places, outdoors as much as possible. We want to protect the progress we have made in relation to the reopening society,” he said.
“The Delta variant is here, there will be an increase in case numbers, we’re watching very carefully the impact on hospitalisations and on ICUs. I’m in regular contact with public health authorities and ultimately we will say to people, it’s important to get your vaccines, they do offer us protection individually but they also help protect your loved ones, families and wider society.”
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While family carers are means tested for carers allowance.
@Úna O Connor Barrett: you can say that again
@Úna O Connor Barrett: The funds are there Una, they just do not care… Let them know in the next election..
@Úna O Connor Barrett: think rich people should be subsidised by poorer taxpayers? That’s reason for a means test.
By all means question the threshold but if you are saying a millionaire should automatically qualify then I disagree.
The war is confined to a small part of the country now. You would imagine many of those that came here would be able to return.
@Munster1: Emphasis on for now. Things can change drastically not to mention many of these Ukrainians have not just lost their homes and family members, but their entire towns and cities too.
@Munster1: I think you can thank your lucky stars that you live in Ireland. What a dreadful comment. You have no idea of the horrors nor of the current and future situation of the country . Ukraine is a war zone, all of it currently. Perhaps you should devote some of your free time to helping the Irish disadvantaged and or the Ukrainian refugees. And yes, many of them want nothing more than to return to their homeland
@Dave Phelan: have you been there, have you witnessed first hand these so called atrocities, no, you sit at home in front of your PC and type idiotic statements. find some real information from real people, on the front line, and watch ho most of the cities are in fact, as everyday normal. what has happened to the people of ireland, now we just watch as our leader propose to be the “good boys ” of europe, while they neglect the needs of everyone in this country, unless you are rich of course and there is something in it for them.
@Darren Murphy: They were voted in because they were well able to ignore the needs of others. That happened long beforehand and it’s on us.
While family carers are means tested for carers allowance and have to fight for medical cards
@Úna O Connor Barrett: Absolutely true Una
In the first instance for many people reading this the initial gut response will probably be…
What about the homeless in Ireland? And why isnt the government funding support for them?
To put this in context the total of Public Expenditure on Homeless Service Provision in the Dublin Region in 2021 was €148,142,145 million.
So its not a case of help being made available for Ukrainian refugees, that has not been available to homeless people in Ireland or that this will somehow take funding away from currently homeless people, its two separate issues and both are being addressed.
The reason for continuing homelessness in ireland is not a lack of funding, its a lack of successive governments willingness, to build permanent social housing to replace current temporary accommodation.
@David Van-Standen: stop talking sense… It’s not appreciated on the journal..
@David Van-Standen: What I can’t fathom is why on earth any TD can’t simply make the call and build permanent housing with EU help. They could then be used later for social housing. All these subsidies are going to hotels while tourists can’t get to or from the airport.
@Aileen Lawlor: They will house whoever is next on the list freeing up emergency shelter for the next people.
Hotels cancelling reservations left, right, and centre because they’re getting 4 grand a week per room off the government to house Ukrainians. Twice in 2 weeks it’s happened at last notice to me, and then you’re paying through the teeth for another hotel.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: 4 grand a week, €570 a night…. per room. Whichnof your arses did you pull that figure out of?
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: 100%. If a hotel has a stragety getting rack rates from the government it has to show 1st that they exist. The vast majority of hotels would love to go down this route hense medium hotels charging 350/400 per night when they were 140 average. They cant get staff so managing 50 rooms at 400 is better than 100 rooms at 140. And again no words from the IHF & Bord Failte. Very very quite.
What’s the Government’s fixation with the City West Hotel, first of all they block booked it as a Covid 19 Base, and now they are going to do the same for the Refugees. Who owns this place, and was these transactions done through Open Procurement, or could there be some Brown Envelopes involved.
@Owen G Mc Ginley: a quick Linkedin search shows the Chairman of Tetrarch who own the Citywest to be Paul Donnolly who is currently also a Senior Advisor to Digicel and was previously a non-exec board member of Digicel… never too far from Denis O’Brien in this country.
@Owen G Mc Ginley: It’s the largest hotel in Ireland, nearly 800 rooms, 2 convention centres and a leisure centre. That’s not including the golf hotel
@Owen G Mc Ginley: not whitstanding the other points made above its also extremely accessible from a transport point of view being only minutes from the M50/N7. No matter what the Govt do you can be guaranteed someone is making a tidy wedge from it.
@Owen G Mc Ginley: , down to all the political contacts made by Jim Mansfield over the years, starting with Liam Lawor, there still there
Current Government remind me of the FF/Green Government towards the end of 2020, a total shambles. Minsters have no control of their departments and the recent fiasco in Dublin Airport, to name one of many, proves this point. A General Election is badly needed as soon as possible.
While family carers are means tested for carers allowance and have to fight for medical cards.
@Úna O Connor Barrett: Yawn
And yet 10 000 irish residents are homeless. I completely agree with helping Ukraine, but look after people who reside in the country first. You cant bring in people into the country in order to inflate this figure next year. 10 000 homeless people, 10 000!!!
Money is the currency of power for this government. They love to have large scale expenditures that they use to curry favour for individual party members or for the party themselves. No money going out equals no votes, favours and LBE’s coming back in. They also don’t care, as can be plainly seen here for years and years, on whether they get value for that money spent, that is besides the point. Or to put it simply, CORRUPTION – alive and well for 50+ years and we just watch it slowly destroy the place.
While family carers are means tested for carers allowance and have to fight for medical cards
@Úna O Connor Barrett: One more time.. that will be 5.
Which government minister, TD or senior civil servant owns, part owns or has a financial interest in the Citywest…..in other words who’s pockets are they lining now
They think the war will Last Two years …???? As soon as things are right in Ukraine They should go back…and let the government sort out the homeless problem for a change
Move refugees out of Greater Dublin Area as use the rest of the country that has excess capacity.
Wow bought just before Covid for peanuts, two handy contracts from state that covers that cost more than once. Lucky deal or just lucky
So what happens if there is another scandemic and they need the hotel again for covid ?
@Ken Bramley: Dafuq is a scandemic? Braindead comment!
It’s a disgrace we need to deal with irelands own homeless I can wait till the next genral election fffg are f##ked
A good decision
Considering? This has been known the last 3 months, not Considering, done.
For god sake people of ireland stand up 10000 on the street family’s struggling children going hungry and the government look the other way I’m all for helping any one who needs help these people have been trough hell but many irish have been in hell for a long time bring on the election
Will they get free use of the golf course ?
Is the darts cancelled so?
have your say