This afternoon.
O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Meanwhile…
This morning/afternoon.
Phoenix Park, Dublin 1
Tag Archives: coronavirus
Fine Gael Minister Josepha Madigan arriving at Leinster House earlier.
“The members who have insisted on this Dáil sitting have shown complete disregard for our national sitting to fight #covid19… shame on you… completely contrary to public guidelines and nothing to do with public representatives shirking our duties” – @madiganjosepha in #Dáil
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) April 2, 2020
Gulp.
This afternoon.
More as we get it.
Thanks Bebe
This afternoon.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Scenes from the first socially distant day back at the Dáil with From top: Social Democrats Anne Marie McNally (left) and Catherine Murphy; People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett; Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly; Independent Michael Lowry and Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin.
Andrew McGinley and his now deceased children Conor, Carla and Darragh; boxes of correspondence sent to Andrew
Today.
Andrew McGinley, whose three children were found dead in their Dublin home in January, is continuing to receive correspondence following an appeal for letters last Friday.
He wrote that he was struggling with isolation and appealed for letters.
This morning, he tweeted a fresh picture of boxes from An Post containing hundreds of letters, and said:
“Is it too late to set up a rota for writing to me??? Thank you all. This has been so uplifting for me and I will read every one of them.”
In fairness.
Previously: ‘I Possibly Should Have Thought This Through’
Health Minister Simon Harris
This afternoon.
A reduced number of Dáil members are meeting to hear statements on health and social protection matters concerning the coronavirus.
It followed calls for the members not to sit.
Meanwhile…
Sinn Féin and PBP argued for a sitting every week through the crisis. I’m told Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil wanted a suspension until the end of April
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 2, 2020
Clerk of the Dáil Peter Finnegan told the meeting that precedent would suggest that as Leo Varadkar has lost the confidence of the Dáil, he technically isn’t accountable to it. Therefore doesn’t have to answer questions in the chamber
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 2, 2020
Business Committee due to meet by teleconference on Monday at 2pm to get update and review what was decided today
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 2, 2020
Yikes.
Anyone?
Watch live here
Earlier: Meanwhile Not In The Dáil
We have developed the ‘C19 Handle Aid’ device designed to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
It allows people to open and close doors without having to touch handles.
For more information email sales@pdsigns.ie or call us on +353 21 4311607#COVIDー19 #covid_ireland pic.twitter.com/0KmUIMk8bf
— Pat Dennehy Signs (@patdennehysigns) April 1, 2020
Your new claw.
Please grab knobs responsibly.
Pat Dennehy Signs’ “coronavirus brochure” here
President Michael D. Higgins shared a special #Covid19 message of support via Ireland’s local and independent radio stations.
You can listen to the President’s message here: https://t.co/7U696yy8uO
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) April 2, 2020
Mmmf.
Earlier…
At noon today, Ireland’s independent, local and community radio stations will broadcast a message of support from President Higgins to communities around the country.
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) April 2, 2020
Free at Midday?
Of course you are.
At noon today, President Michael D Higgins will broadcast a message across all independent, local and community radio stations.
Fine Gael TD Patrick Donovan
This afternoon.
The Dáil’s Business Committee will meet at noon, while the Dáil will meet with a much reduced number of TDs at 2pm to discuss health and social protection matters concerning the coronavirus.
Further to this…
I fully support parliamentary accountability and the need for all Members to voice their concerns, however for at least the next while, in accordance with the advice the Govt gave last week from the CMO, today’s sitting which will not have votes or legislation should not go ahead
— Patrick O’Donovan (@podonovan) April 2, 2020
I wrote to the Business Committee of the Dáil through the Ceann Comhairle, that today’s proposed sitting not go ahead in the interests of safety. The risk attached to all who would attend and those they would contact after, far outweigh the reasons given for the sitting.
— Patrick O’Donovan (@podonovan) April 2, 2020
Meanwhile…
I’ll take the advice of our public health experts & stay at home as much as I can.
Mere ‘statements’ to the Dáil are not in any way essential. Emergency legislation is a different matter.
My team & I continue to work from home to assist constituents & our country. @labour https://t.co/w83J0FxKUE
— Ged Nash TD (@geraldnash) March 31, 2020
The @fiannafailparty parliamentary party held entire meeting via conference call yesterday. Recalling the Dáil for “statements” tomorrow is just grandstanding imo. Statements mean no votes, no laws, no replies, no outcomes, just a lot of speeches. At request of SF & PBP I believe https://t.co/CTJMoAkyMs
— James Lawless (@lawlessj) April 1, 2020
This is all grandstanding nonsense.
Oireachtas briefings are happening all the time.Every TD knows what ‘Statements in the House’ really means – filling in time.
Sitting today with no legislation puts staff in harm’s way unnecessarily.
We should #StayHomeSaveLives.@labour https://t.co/DMfaFxMHtQ
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) April 2, 2020
And on the plinth…
Brid Smith says one idea that needs to be pursued and scrutinised is that the Pandemic Payment is only payable to those aged 18-66, meaning those who have lost work have no extra support – she says this is prescribed by the law and only Dáil sittings can address it properly
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) April 2, 2020
For what it’s worth the Dept of Social Protection tells me this is not the case, and the means test for supplementary welfare has been changed so that those outside 18-66 who has lost income can now apply
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) April 2, 2020
Responding to a question about cocooning, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said that the restrictions “may go on for some time” #coronavirus | https://t.co/AByuMzAXKr pic.twitter.com/PL7kQjdb3O
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 2, 2020
This morning.
At a press briefing in Government Buildings, Tánaiste Simon Coveney was asked how long the “cocooning” restriction will continue.
He said:
“As you know the Government takes its advice from the chief medical officer [Tony Holohan] and his team and the national public health emergency team but I do think people do need to realise that these restrictions may go on for some time.
“I think it’s wrong to put a timeline on it. We’ve set an initial period [until Easter] but I think that it may well be that we will need to go beyond that initial guideline but again that will be a decision taken with the best public health advice that we can get.”
The “cocooning” phase affects people over 70 and those who are medically vulnerable.
They are not allowed to leave their homes and are to have no interaction or minimal interaction with other people. It’s currently scheduled to remain in place until Easter Sunday, April 12.
Previously: “There’s No Fate But What We Make For Ourselves”
513,350
at
#Breaking CSO figures show 513,350 people on live register and Covid-19 related unemployment payments
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 2, 2020
This morning.
The Central Statistics Office writes:
The COVID-19 Crisis has had a significant impact on the labour market during March 2020.
Unadjusted Live Register total stands at 205,209 for March 2020.
Seasonally adjusted Live Register total for March 2020 was 207,200, up 24,400 from February 2020.
In the last week of March 2020: 283,037 people were in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and 25,104 persons benefitted from the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
Press Statement Live Register March 2020 (Central Statistics Office)