I together with the Independent Regional Group members state that the Government’s continuing failure for the timely adoption of successful measures to combat and contain Covid19 continues to damage our economy and our social fabric.
“The Regional Group of TDs have constantly fought for the use of rapid antigen testing to provide screen testing of possible asymptomatic transmission, yet Government has continued to fail to heed the advice of Irish and international epidemiologists who are not part of NPHET”.
“This Government continues to make Ireland a laggard in terms of opening up safe international tourism and hospitality opportunities. In 2019 a record 11.3 million oversea tourists were welcomed on the island of Ireland creating over in €5.9 billion in revenue, as can be seen from Tourism Ireland figures HERE. Regional Ireland is heavily dependent on a healthy tourism sector and the goal should be to get our economy open and growing”.
“The Regional Group of TDs state that the ongoing aversion by Government of antigen testing will negatively impact our tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors and thus a large section of our regional SME indigenous industries”.
“Given both the cost savings of antigen testing over PCR tests and the cost implications on our hospitality sectors needlessly over the coming months one must begin to question who in Government is actually writing the cheques to cover this activity and when will the full costs of our outlier status be fully assessed, published and politically owned?”.
“Our communities and our economy have suffered hugely, and it is now time for renewed and urgent action utilising the latest understandings in science and technology that can allow us to live with Covid-19 while we work to defeat it and get the economy going”.