Taoiseach: Government not ashamed of its response to pandemic

Micheál Martin said there had been ‘a perfect storm’ because of the combination of people socialising at Christmas and the new UK variant of the virus

The Taoiseach defended the Government's decision to reopen hospitality in early December and to allow household visits in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Picture: Dan Linehan

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was ‘unfair’ to suggest the Government should be ashamed of its response to the pandemic.

They were doing everything they possibly could to get the virus under control again, he told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show.

There had been "a perfect storm" because of the combination of people socialising at Christmas and the new UK variant of the virus, he said.

Mr Martin said he was not blaming the UK variant alone for the recent surge in cases – people socialising over Christmas had played a role in the increase in transmission rates.

The Taoiseach defended the Government's decision to reopen hospitality in early December and to allow household visits in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Levels of transmission had come down as a result of the level 5 restrictions. “There were no mixed messages there.” 

The Government accepted its responsibility, he said. “We have acted at all times in responding effectively to the waves that have emerged. 

Our focus is in getting the current wave under control, getting the numbers down, relieving the pressure on our hospitals, and protecting the vulnerable and elderly in our community. That’s my entire focus now.” 

Sealing off the border with Northern Ireland as a way to curb the virus had never been “a realistic prospect”, he said, but he acknowledged the open border had led to difficulties in controlling the virus. It would be “very hard” to close it, he said.

Mr Martin said it was “quite extraordinary” that the gardaí still had to intervene to break up parties, but overall he believed there was better public compliance now than there was two weeks ago.