Donnelly says he informed Taoiseach Nphet might seek Level 4 restrictions
HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has revealed he told Taoiseach Micheál Martin the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) may recommend tightening Covid-19 restrictions to Level 4 before it met on Sunday.
The remarks in the Dáil contradict what Mr Martin’s spokesperson told the Irish Independent yesterday.
The spokesperson said Mr Martin “didn’t know the Nphet meeting was about discussing changing levels”.
A row has raged all week over who in Government knew what and when about the controversial recommendation which was rejected by the coalition who ultimately decided the country should go to Level 3.
Mr Donnelly has come under pressure to outline the sequence of events and what he knew after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar gave an interview to RTÉ earlier this week where he criticised the Nphet proposal and suggested it came as a surprise to the Government.
Mr Donnelly told the Dáil he got a text at lunchtime on Saturday from chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan to say he was calling a meeting of Nphet for the following day. He texted Taoiseach Micheál Martin to let him know.
On Sunday morning Mr Donnelly arranged a phone call with Mr Holohan. He said: “We discussed the current situation and the possibility of moving to Level 4.” Mr Donnelly said he contacted the Taoiseach afterwards.
In the Dáil last night, Sinn Féin TDs pressed Mr Donnelly on whether he told the Taoiseach Nphet was considering recommending an escalation in Covid-19 restriction levels.
In response to a question from Matt Carthy, Mr Donnelly said: “The information about Level 4 was conveyed to the Taoiseach, yes.”
On Sunday evening after the Nphet meeting, Mr Donnelly took part in a video call with Mr Holohan and others.
“That is when I was informed of the recommendation to move to Level 5.”
Mr Donnelly said he updated the Taoiseach after that call.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane asked Mr Donnelly whether there was “push-back” from him and if he told Mr Holohan in the Sunday morning phonecall that moving to Level 4 would be problematic.
He said he was asking this because there was an impression created that Nphet went on a “solo run”.
Mr Donnelly said that Mr Cullinane was the only person he’s heard suggest Nphet went on a solo run. He said he didn’t seek to influence Nphet, adding “I would never have done such a thing”.
Mr Cullinane said Tánaiste Leo Varadkar “very clearly pushed back” against the CMO and gave the impression the Government was being “bounced”. He added: “The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were saying that they were caught on the hop. That the first they heard of it was when they received the letter after the meeting.”
He claimed “that... is patently untrue” adding: “The fact of the matter is that the CMO did everything possible as far as I can see by relaying the information to you as minister for health by being very clear about the situation in terms of the spread of the virus.”
Mr Donnelly accused Mr Cullinane of using his speaking time to “to misrepresent an invented division between Nphet and Government”.
Earlier in the Dáil, Mr Varadkar insisted he “didn’t say a bad word” about Mr Holohan as he was grilled on the public disagreement between the Government and Nphet.
In a TV interview with RTÉ’s Claire Byrne on Monday night, Mr Varadkar shredded the Nphet proposal that the country should move to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions.
Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty accused Mr Varadkar of going on RTÉ to “take the legs from under our chief medical officer” and claimed it was “dangerous behaviour”.
Mr Varadkar said: “In relation to the chief medical officer, I did not say a bad word about him.” He said Mr Holohan is “someone I respect immensely”, saying he had worked closely with the chief medical officer in the past on controversies relating to Portlaoise hospital and CervicalCheck. He told Sinn Féin this was “when you were taking lumps out of him”.
Mr Varadkar said he spoke to Mr Holohan on Tuesday: “We cleared the air and neither of us has any issue with the other.”
Mr Donnelly took part in a video call with Mr Holohan and others