Labour Party leader Alan Kelly has dismissed the latest Government announcement on Covid-19 as being "absolutely bananas ... discriminatory, unenforceable ... shocking stuff. Amateur hour".
Alan Kelly also said Taoiseach Micheál Martin should have been in the Dáil taking questions rather than appearing at a press briefing.
"He's accountable to this Dáil," he said.
"I think you are going to learn a big political lesson ... and you're going to have to rescind it," Mr Kelly told Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, who was taking Leaders' Questions, referring to the measures that affect young people.
Mr Kelly warned that these measures will "break social cohesion", and divide families, employees and employers.
It says to young people that they can spend their summer sitting at home and watching "Love Island", the Labour leader said, while those who work in hospitality can serve older people who are vaccinated.
"The reaction from people who are under their thirties is something I have never seen before," he added.
During Leaders Questions, Labour's Alan Kelly dismissed the Govt's Covid measures as "absolutely bananas". Minister Eamon Ryan said that the Govt wants "to sit down with stakeholders" and to look at options which "provide better protection" | https://t.co/QRuxSAYrp1 pic.twitter.com/MfxWnl1UhN
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 29, 2021
Mr Ryan said the Government wants "to sit down with stakeholders" and to look at options which "provide better protection".
"The plan itself is something that we have to devise and develop," he said.
"For the young people," he said, changes to vaccination rules yesterday were positive.
Minister Ryan said the new Covid-19 modelling information from the National Public Health Emergency Team was only available to Government "last night", and that the coalition wants to reopen "stage by stage in a way that doesn't have to be reversed," which is "what young people want".
"There is no discrimination to the intent" behind the measures, he added.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane has questioned why the Government has not engaged with the hospitality sector on the reopening of indoor hospitality being limited to those fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 infection.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Deputy Cullinane said "we have all known for the last number of weeks that Delta was a variant of concern".
He said the proposition of a "two-tier reopening" does "not sit well" with him.
He said his party would like to "better understand" the data and modelling that led to NPHET’s advice to Government.
Deputy Cullinane said today’s announcement shows that the Government "has no plan".
However, he acknowledged that the coalition had to make "tough decisions" based on "alarming" modelling produced by NPHET.
Social Democrats' co-leader and health spokesperson Róisín Shortall said the latest plan to reopen the country was "unworkable, unenforceable" and raises legal and ethical issues.
"Who is going to enforce this? In what way will it be enforced? What will be the penalties for non-enforcement? Will a legal liability attach to those premises that don't adequately enforce this measure? How much time will it take to devise such a system?
She said: "Opposition parties have not seen NPHET’s figures or projections. We also do not know if NIAC’s revised vaccination programme, in which younger people can avail of AstraZeneca with a shorter interval between first and second dose, factored into NPHET’s calculations - given that announcement was only made last night.
'NPHET advice is completely bonkers' - McGrath
Independent TD Mattie McGrath called on the Government to dispense of the services of NPHET.
He criticised the proposal to allow indoor dining for those who are vaccinated, describing it as a "the most illogical idea" that risked creating an apartheid situation.
The Tipperary TD told the Dáil: "NPHET advice is completely bonkers."
Deputy McGrath said that the Government took NPHET advice as "Gospel", but instead he would like to see it scrutinised further.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has dismissed NPHET's advice as "completely bonkers". He called for an independent analysis of the advice. Eamon Ryan said it was his view that Ireland will not experience a major wave due to the measures being taken | https://t.co/QRuxSAYrp1 pic.twitter.com/CF4UUKQVuv
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 29, 2021
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan rejected those assertions and said that NPHET modelling suggests that there is a risk of high numbers in ICU and hospitals coming under pressure.
Minister Ryan expressed his own view that Ireland will not experience a major wave, due to the measures being taken.
He said that the new NIAC advice would pave the way for an acceleration of the vaccine roll-out.
Decision criticised by some Govt members
Today's announcement by the Government has also been criticised by a number of Government TDs and Senators.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers said she believed the Government "made the wrong decision to proceed with a plan to allow only fully vaccinated people back to indoor hospitality".
So if younger unvaccinated people won't be allowed to eat and drink indoors, I assume younger and unvaccinated people won’t be allowed to work indoors in hospitality? May as well be consistent with how we treat young people or is having fun the differentiating factor? 🤔
— Lisa Chambers (@lichamber) June 29, 2021
Her party colleague Paul McAuliffe said the return to indoor dining "must be governed by focusing on the key public health messages rather than prescriptive unenforceable guidelines".
The return to indoor dining must be governed by focusing on the key public health messages rather than prescriptive unenforceable guidelines. There are concerns but we must bring people with us. Public Health is a mix of medical science and behavioural science.
— Paul McAuliffe TD (@PaulMcauliffe) June 29, 2021
Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell described the plans as "unworkable, unrealistic and based on hyper pessimistic projections".
Minister Eamon Ryan told the Dáil that it is likely that other European countries will have to manage an increase in cases of the Delta variant.
The prospect of such an increase has informed the Government's decisions today in relation to indoor dining, he said.
Peader Toibín, Aontú, said young people "are being threatened with a two tier citizenship", and accused the Government of "outsourcing" its responsibilities to NPHET.
Fianna Fáil's Niamh Smyth said those in the hospitality sector cannot be expected "to police" those using their facilities.
Minister Ryan said he shared her concerns, noting that further supports are being made available, including extensions of existing supports, such as the PUP.
Calls to bring forward Dáil debate
There were calls from opposition deputies for the Dáil to debate today's Covid measures promptly.
There were objections to a plan to move the debate to Friday from its scheduled slot tomorrow evening.
During Order of Business, Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the "massive implications of today's decisions" must be debated.
"You're codding no body, Minster Ryan!", he said.
"We need a full and meaningful debate."
Labour's Duncan Smith said moving the debate was "totally unsatisfactory".
Peader Toibin, Aontú, said the measures will move "tens of thousands of people" into poverty, and called for an immediate debate.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that "Friday will be timely" for the debate, as final decisions on the measures have not been made.
