Over-70s rules ‘sparked mini rebellion’
A ‘MINI REBELLION’ at Cabinet led to a crucial briefing by Dr Tony Holohan, ministers told the Irish Mail on Sunday last night.
One Cabinet member said he believed that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sent a text message to colleagues on Wednesday night to tell them a meeting had been organised with the HSE’s chief medical officer because of the vehemence expressed by ministers at Tuesday’s meeting.
‘It was voluble, the concern expressed about older people... and Leo and Simon Harris must have believed it was useful for us to express our views on Thursday,’ the source said.
It is believed minister
Finian McGrath told Dr Holohan, pictured, on Thursday that ‘it didn’t make sense that hundreds of workers were going into factories’ in his constituency and older people couldn’t go for a walk for an hour. Ultimately, it was decided after another Cabinet meeting on Friday to change the advisory to older people so that they could exercise at certain times of the day.
It is also understood that ministers raised concerns at recent Cabinet meetings about the ‘mandate of the Government’.
A minister said last night: ‘A few of us have brought this up in recent meetings. We do not have the backing of the people and it is leading to a weak Cabinet at this crucial time. We are increasingly looking to the public health doctors to give us cover and that is not right.
‘A strong Cabinet, with a new mandate from the Dáil, will take into consideration public health, mental health issues and economic issues and then make decisions.
‘Some of what we’re doing doesn’t make sense. How can cafes and restaurants open and pubs not be allowed to open with strict new rules? There is no common sense.’
There is also concern about the advice being received from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
One minister told the MoS: ‘They haven’t got everything right. Look at what happened with the nursing homes for instance.’
This newspaper revealed last Sunday that the Government intended to ease restrictions for the over-70s.