'If we keep doing business like this, we won't be doing business for long' - how Leo and Micheál clashed over restrictions

POWER PLAYERS: Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. Photo: Stephen Collins

Philip Ryan Twitter Email

August 19 2020 02:30 AM

The stand-out comment at yesterday's Cabinet meeting, according to some, was not about the rise in Covid-19 cases or the new public-health restrictions.

Rather it was Tánaiste Leo Varadkar's comments via a teleconference screen in the meeting room in Government Buildings from his staycation in Co Mayo.

"If we keep doing business like this, we won't be doing business for very long," Varadkar insisted, according to three people who attended the meeting.

Varadkar was frustrated with the rushed nature of the meeting that had been organised on Monday night at Taoiseach Micheál Martin's behest on receipt of recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

It had been agreed over the weekend that a Cabinet committee would discuss the Nphet advice with acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn ahead of a full Cabinet meeting. But this was cancelled and instead the entire Cabinet met to discuss a memo they received a few minutes before the meeting started.

Interestingly, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe later said the meeting was rushed but added that urgency was needed due to the rapidly increasing number of new Covid cases.

Varadkar's complaint may seem arbitrary, but it is feeding into a wider issue in Fine Gael where ministers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Taoiseach, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Nphet.

Varadkar’s complaint may seem arbitrary, but it is feeding into a wider issue in Fine Gael where ministers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Taoiseach, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Nphet. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

"You'd need a certain set of skills to deal with Nphet because anyone who can make logic of their recommendations needs to be a genius," one minister said.

"We are implementing the most draconian restrictions in Europe," another minister complained.

Fine Gael had a system going with chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan when they were in charge. Dr Holohan would speak to Varadkar and then Harris before Nphet drafted their advice.

Dr Tony Holohan. Picture: Colin Keegan

While Nphet was giving independent public health advice, the Government had an input.

It meant there was less friction when the advice was received and the Government was prepared for any bad news.

Yesterday, the Cabinet went through a memo on the Nphet advice line by line and several concerns were raised - especially around the recommendations for older people who are once again being asked to restrict their movements to protect themselves from the deadly virus. People also queried the advice against taking public transport and staying home for work. The issue of only allowing six people in a house while letting children go back to school was also raised.

Cabinet meetings are for debate and most ministers are happy to thrash out ideas. When the new guidance was finally announced by the Taoiseach there was some confusion about seemingly conflicting new rules. But the overall message, which wasn't said, was that they are trying to clamp down on unorganised gatherings. Mass sporting events and restaurants are fine but house parties and barbecues are not.

People are listening and it serves nobody's interest to confuse them when they are mostly willing to play their part in fighting the virus.