MEDICS PLEAD FOR STRICTER QUARANTINE

102 new cases Mary Lou backs tough measures

THE Government needs to implement stricter quarantine laws urgently to prevent the spread of coronavirus, senior Irish doctors working in the area of infectious diseases have warned.

The call comes as 102 new cases were confirmed last night, bringing the total to 785.

And Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, writing in today’s Irish Mail on Sunday, has backed the pleas by the experts in virus control, as she warned that the ‘fight to slow coronavirus is compromised – fatally perhaps’.

She writes that workers ask ‘why it is that, in this race against time, the Government has not yet introduced full measures to protect them, to give full effect to social distancing? They worry

that they are bringing this virus home.’ After evidence of noncompliance in popular outdoor amenity areas such as Glendalough and the Sally Gap in Co. Wicklow, pressure is mounting on the caretaker Government to introduce further measures.

And last night health chiefs had to threaten to use their new powers to shut down some pubs that have remained open against public health advice – with certain areas of Munster singled out.

Issues such as these led to the group of infectious disease doctors tweeting yesterday: ‘IDSI (Infectious Diseases Society Ireland) is concerned about the epidemiological curve of #covid19 cases in Ireland. It is our view that further immediate societal measures, implemented by government are required to #StopTheSpread #lockdown.’

Dr Eoghan de Barra from the Infectious Diseases Society, who is a consultant in infectious diseases at Beaumont Hospital and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, told the MoS last night new laws to allow areas to be shut down may need to be implemented.

He said: ‘It seems around the country the message has not really got through in some sectors.’

The MoS has also learned that emergency authorities are racing to ensure temporary mortuary facilities are in place to cope with an expected surge in Covid-19 deaths in the coming weeks.

Plans still under discussion involve the use of temporary morgue structures held by local authorities, and even the use of refrigerated shipping containers in a worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, both the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin have told the MoS in separate interviews that they want the government formation talks to take a back seat for at least next month, to allow the apparatus of the State to concentrate on containing coronavirus. This means there will be no new government until next month at the earliest and the caretaker administration may lose the ability to pass laws after the Seanad elections on March 30.

However, the MoS has also learned that there is unanimity among the most influential figures in both parties on a number of key issues:

÷ No national government, with a senior source in Fianna Fáil saying it would be a ‘recipe for indecision’;

÷ There should be a rotating Taoiseach;

÷ The Green Party, rather than a collection of independents, must join the coalition.

Mr Martin, who until recently was expected to be the first to take the office of Taoiseach in a rotating administration, says that ‘focus’ must now be on the coronavirus.

When asked about the government formation talks last night, he told the MoS: ‘I think the overwhelming focus right now, in the coming weeks, is on making sure that the country can deal with the health challenge that coronavirus presents. All politicians are engaging with the different sectors of society, particularly the health sector and the business sector.’

He said there should be no conclusion to government formation talks until next month. ‘There will be a strong focus until the end of this month on Covid-19, making sure that all attention and energies are directed at that. That’s our view as well and I think that’s what will emerge in the coming weeks.’

Fine Gael have made it clear to Fianna Fáil that they don’t favour a conclusion to talks in the near future either. Mr Varadkar told the MoS that forming a government in the midst of a national crisis would be too disruptive.

‘The coronavirus should not prevent the formation of a new government if there is a majority in the Dáil for one,’ said the Taoiseach.

But he said: ‘A simple fact is that forming a new government is disruptive, as it involves 20 to 30 new ministers and their respective teams.’

And all the new ministers would ‘need a few weeks to meet their civil service staff, set up a new office and read into their new job. That won’t help.’

The Dáil will reconvene next Thursday but a vote for taoiseach will not be held.

A rotating Taoiseach and an even split of ministers between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had been agreed until a number of issues intervened including the coronavirus, the universal praise for Mr Varadkar’s ‘state of the nation’ address and the turmoil in the Green Party.

But a number of Fianna Fáil TDs want Mr Martin to call a special parliamentary party meeting to discuss government formation this week. One frontbench TD told the MoS: ‘With the rapidly changing circumstances in the country we need a full parliamentary party meeting immediately.

‘Of course, if required, it could be done via teleconferencing – Fine Gael did it last week – but a lot of us feel left out of this process.’

A number of Fianna Fail TDs – including John Lahart, Jim O’Callaghan and Niall Collins – have spoken in favour of exploring a

Shipping containers may be used as morgues

national coalition to help combat coronavirus. Mr Lahart outlined, in detail, how he envisaged all parties engaging in a government under the d’Hondt system.

Another Fianna Fáil TD said: ‘There needs to be a discussion around everything. Some of us want this national coalition and we want to be heard. The leadership are not engaging with the full parliamentary party. That means all TDs and senators.’

The MoS has also learned that both Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin do not believe a coalition can function for five years unless the Green Party joins it. However, there is significant internal disagreement in the Green Party about whether to enter a coalition.

It is clear to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that the pragmatic leader Eamon Ryan is willing to enter a coalition government.

A senior Fine Gael source said: ‘A coalition without the Greens would be pointless and could not function. Besides adding a relatively coherent – just about – bloc of 12 TDs they would offer a sizeable buffer between the two.’

A senior Fianna Fáil source agreed: ‘Ideally, we would want a Green participation. We continue to speak to the independents but they are not our preferred choice.’

It is understood tboth parties have been talking to independents and feelers have been put out to the Labour Party in recent days, as it is believed Alan Kelly may support rethinking his party’s opposition to re-entering government.

The party’s position is being informed by the scale and extent of the coronavirus, but any decision will not be taken until after the leadership vote. Mr Kelly said: ‘Labour has always been, in its decision-making, putting the country first.’ However, he said: ‘The country needs a strong opposition and that must be recognised too.’

In that vein both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin were critical yesterday of the Government’s economic measures for coronavirus.

‘We think that there is an urgent need to rethink the economic response and we think that, like the Danes and the British, we need to do far more in terms of keeping workers tied to their existing employments,’ said Mr Martin.

Ms McDonald writes in her piece for the MoS: ‘We need an immediate bailout for workers and families. Sinn Féin wants income support for workers who lose their jobs due to Covid-19.

‘Our plan means every worker, including the self-employed, will have income up to €32,500 secured and employers can top up income beyond that if they can.

‘All workers will be paid up to €525 per week for 20 weeks via their employer.’