Government shooting messenger for uncomfortable facts
People Before Profit have called for the Tánaiste to withdraw his comments on NPHETs advice on last night’s Claire Byrne Live show.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “The Tánaiste’s statement that the advice was “not thought through” is clearly contradicted by the substance of the letter from NPHET. This was a cynical exercise in deflection, divide and rule which threatens public health.
“Meanwhile it seems the CEO of the HSE is under the impression that our hospitals can cope with this second wave, a view not shared by doctors, nurses or anyone in the front line.”
He added that the Tánaiste’s attack was “an attempt for the government to hide their tracks in opening up the country too early, for not investing in tracking and tracing and for allowing capacity in the health service to go back to the private sector.
“The societal buy in to defeat Covid-19 is being eroded by the Government actions including their cuts to PUP payments and failure to protect tenants and mortgage holders. Clearly the Tánaiste believes that if the facts do not suit your political views you attack the facts and the massager who are highlighting them.”