MacSharry: I do not have confidence in Taoiseach’s handling of current crisis
SLIGO Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry has said he has no confidence in Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
Deputy MacSharry said that just because he is a government TD, it doesn’t mean he has to stop exercising his brain or his own individual judgement on how the crisis is being managed.
Asked on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk radio yesterday, Wednesday, if he has confidence in Micheal Martin’s leadership of the crisis, he said: “No, I don’t. He said: “I’ve made that clear since last March in recommendations and suggestions in what I believe needs to be done. “We haven’t sought to build capacity, we haven’t sought to track and trace to the extent that it works. We haven’t looked to introduce guidelines that will see wet pubs or gyms reopen. “We have had one strategy which is based on hope, vaccination and lockdown. That’s not a strategy and in that context, no: I don’t have confidence.” Mr MacSharry believes a strategy now needs to be developed for living with Covid in the medium and long term. He said: “The WHO speaks of lockdowns as a temporary measure, to build capacitiy, to detect, isolate and trade. We’ve used it as our sole strategy, and there’s huge collateral damage from that, psychologically, economically and socially.”
The Sligo-Leitrim TD said he is a member of a government party, but he “works for the people” and has a responsibility to call out issues when they arise.
He said he’s not afraid to be wrong when he puts forward his own proposals. “I have praised the physicians for giving the appropriate advice. What I’m criticising is myself – ourselves, the Oireachtas, the government – for not distilling that advice into a functioning society.
“We are the most locked-down country for the longest period in the history of the world. I yearn to get out of that.” Deputy MacSharry also voiced concern at Ireland’s failure to “think outside of the box” when it came to securing extra vaccines outside of the EU structure. “We sought to be the best boys in the class and look where that got us. The EU has no competence in health matters and it has shown itself to be that way again,” he said.
But he said that despite his unhappiness with the government’s handling of the crisis, he is not prepared to resign as a member of his party.