Taoiseach tells Dáil Covid-19 may have been in Ireland last year as he extends €350 payment

The €350-a-week emergency Covid payment is set to be extended beyond mid-June when it was originally meant to cease, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil.

The Taoiseach said we came back from the last economic crisis and we will do so again before adding that Covid-19 could have been in Ireland as early as late last year or early January this year.

He told the Dáil: "We are still learning about this virus. It is noteworthy that initial experts suggest from retrospective testing, that the virus was circulating in France as far back as December last year.

"That is before the virus even had a name or a test for it. In some ways this is not surprising, France is well connected to China with dozens of flights every day. And, Ireland is well connected to France.

Indeed, it is possible that the virus was already in Ireland last year or in January this year. We should not assume that it came here from Italy in late-February just because that was the first confirmed case.

"Further research and retrospective testing will give us a better idea and time will tell. "

During sharp exchanges with Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, Mr Varadkar said while the payments are extraordinary and not affordable in the long run, he said they will continue as long as people need them.

“It will be extended beyond mid-June,” he said.

A visibly annoyed Taoiseach accused the Sinn Féin leader of being party political in her contribution.

He said Ms McDonald’s comments were “two-faced” as he cited her party’s record in Northern Ireland where weekly welfare rates are £100.

He also hit out at members of her party “boasting” about handing out food parcels saying “if that was me, I’d be ashamed.”

In his address, Mr Varadkar said we can learn from successes and errors of other European countries reopening before us.

The Taoiseach said the Government wants to hear from sectors who think they can open more quickly.

He also said he would like to see a return to international air travel as soon as is safe and he said he is optimistic air travel will resume this year.

Mr Varadkar said that we are going in the right direction and he is confident that Phase One of easing the Covid-19 restrictions can proceed on May 18.

He said Cabinet would make a final decision on Friday, May 15, following advice from National Public Health Emergency Team.

He also said the HSE is increasing its testing capacity to 12,000 tests a day and by mid-May the aim is to have capacity of 15,000 per day.

In his address, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said we are "beyond the stage where clarity must be provided" for this year's Leaving Certificate students.

Mr Martin said the "failure to show leadership must end".

He criticised the fact that information on public health limitations on what can and cannot be done regarding holding examinations had not been made available to Fianna Fáil's Education spokesperson Thomas Byrne or others.