Public vents its anger at handling of crisis in emails to Taoiseach

CRITICISM of the Government’s handling of the pandemic by the public – and in particular the issue of hotel quarantine – has been laid bare in correspondence sent to the Taoiseach.

In emails to Micheál Martin, people took issue with the impact the restrictions are having on their lives, not being able to see family members and questioning why they should abide by the regulations if people are still allowed to fly into the country.

The correspondence, from the first two months of the year, was obtained through a freedom of information request by RTÉ News. The issue of mandatory hotel quarantine, which was being discussed at the start of the year, and even now is still causing controversy, was the subject of many emails.

According to RTÉ, a majority of the emails were in support of the hotel quarantine system with many feeling that a failure to have a system like that in place was contradictory since the 5km travel limit was in place.

One person wrote that they, like many others, were doing the ‘right thing’ walking in 5km circles every day and not seeing family members. ‘We are so weary and exhausted from this,’ said the person, while calling for action on hotel quarantine.

After the Taoiseach’s address to the nation in February, one person wrote imploring him to take a stronger position and implement the quarantine system for all arrivals ‘before it is too late’.

One person’s email, which was dated February 26, read: ‘We have to do what is asked of us and stay in Level 5 lockdown, but others can enter Ireland and are likely to bring Covid with them.’

Exasperated people said they would not abide by the Covid restrictions anymore because of the Government’s refusal to move on international travel. One person wrote: ‘I’m not staying home anymore. I have lost confidence in all of you.

‘You don’t appear to see how foolish your continued allowance of international travel is.’

Some did push back against mandatory hotel quarantine, with people saying that it would prevent them from seeing and potentially caring for elderly parents.

One person said: ‘My mother has stomach cancer. My mother-in-law had early onset dementia when we last saw her.

‘If you proceed with mandatory quarantine hotels that my family and I cannot afford we may not see our parents again, something I cannot comprehend.’

Some were calling for exemptions to be made for those who need to travel for medical reasons.

‘My medical care is already proving to be an expensive nightmare. Don’t make it any more difficult than it already is,’ one person said.

Some people, who’ve never contacted a politician before, felt the need to voice their frustrations at the Government for their handling of the pandemic going as far to say they will ‘make our feelings known at the ballot box’.

‘We watch each other struggle with our mental health and complain at the kitchen table.

‘But as you know from the last election, we make our feelings known at the ballot box,’ one person said.

‘We are so weary and exhausted’