Taoiseach tells parents to decide themselves on indoor dining risks 

The Taoiseach has urged families to use their own judgement in deciding whether to partake in indoor dining. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The Taoiseach has urged families to use their own judgement in deciding whether to partake in indoor dining.

Speaking in Offaly today, Micheál Martin warned of a challenging number of weeks ahead due to the spread of the Delta variant, but said that the public needs to be trusted in the face of the more transmissible version of Covid-19.

Mr Martin said people who planned to bring unvaccinated children into controlled settings should use their own judgement after chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan advised people not to.

“People can make their judgment - exercise their own judgment," the Taoiseach said.

“I think in many instances there won’t be any difficulty in terms of children accompanying parents in a controlled environment.

"Remember, there are significant controls in a restaurant, for example, in terms of the sector's guidelines. 

My view on that is the Government made a decision. People can bring their children in.

“There has to be a balance here in terms of how people operate and how people live their lives.”

Mr Martin said the Cabinet and chief medical officer can differ given the Government's broader considerations but stressed personal responsibility would be key in the coming weeks.

“I think the key point really is there is a need for personal responsibility. We need to trust people as well.

“And I think people have learned themselves throughout the journey of this pandemic how it can impact and how deadly it can be. This is a collective effort as a society to try to deal with an unprecedented global pandemic.

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“People need to take the advice of the chief medical officer in respect of this seriously but at the same time, in terms of Government, the Government has created a good balance here.”

Mr Martin's comments come after the Government voted to approve legislation around the return of indoor dining, which will see unvaccinated people largely unable to avail of it.  

Labour Party leader Alan Kelly yesterday said the “shambolic” legislation means the Government’s slogan of us “all being in this together” ends with this bill.

He said the bill has changed everything and will break social solidarity and cause havoc.

"It's a shambles, it's reactionary. But, most of all, it is discriminatory. I am deeply uncomfortable with it, I think you are too," he said to Mr Varadkar.