Alison O'Connor: How does Dr Ronan Glynn stick it?

It is impossible to imagine being in his position right now and not being sorely tempted to pack up his bag writes Alison O'Connor

Dr Ronan Glynn, acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health must be wondering why he still serves on NPHET. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin

I have never met Dr Ronan Glynn. I am highly unlikely to do so any time soon, but if I did my first question would be: How do you stick it?

It is impossible to imagine being in his position right now and not being sorely tempted to pack up his bag and tell his political overlords: I am out of here. If ever there was a thankless task, and getting even more thankless by the day, it is the job of heading up the National Public Health Emergency Team or, as it is better known, NPHET.

The way things stand Dr Glynn can hardly be the only one wondering why he continues to serve on this group, given the unbelievable amount of crap that is raining down on their heads at a time when they are clearly operating to the absolute best of their abilities.

This column is an attempt to let him and the others know, that despite all the political and other begrudgers, there is a NPHET fanclub out there. It continues to really appreciate all the work that is being done, the sacrifices that have been made, the extraordinary hours worked, and the time lost with family.

To be clear this is not a North Korea-type fanclub. It does bring its critical faculties to bear. NPHET is not viewed as a supreme being that stands above scrutiny or questioning. It is fallible. However, as time moves on the answers we demand from NPHET get far harder in terms of what is the best way to balance saving lives and saving jobs.

What NPHET should not be is a political football, to be given a good kicking by people who have their own agendas and are shameless in using the group to progress them. On Wednesday Dr Glynn appeared before the Dail’s Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. This Committee has done good work and it is a pity that it will not continue to operate. Towards the end of the meeting, very unusually, yet very understandably, Dr Glynn’s exasperation, came to the surface.

The acting Chief Medical Officer was in attendance with health minister Stephen Donnelly, Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory  and, Philip Nolan, chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group.

Dr Glynn laid it out to the TD’s. There is a growing narrative, he said, that if we had “just one more data point or piece of information that we would be able to control this in a better way”. However, we already have acres of data out there, he said, and every time NPHET makes a set of recommendations, the data upon which we make those recommendations is published within hours of a Government decision.

He said: “I do not believe that there is anybody in this country, if they are really interested in what is happening in their area, who cannot go online and see data.” His clincher, such as it was, was not delivered in an angry or overly emotional tone, but you definitely felt it.

He said: “On one hand, we are being told we need to stop the daily briefings because we are worrying people and giving too much information. On the other side, we are being told we are not giving enough. We have to manage a pandemic in the middle of this.” 

There you have it: “We have to manage a pandemic in the middle of this.” 

Not long before that moment Committee chairman, independent TD Michael McNamara had asked would Dr Glynn consider webcasting NPHET meetings? You would have to think, if that sort of a daft decision was taken, we would definitely be looking for new members for NPHET.

For the record Dr Glynn’s response was to highlight NPHET’s existing transparency. With justifiable tartness, he said: “I do not believe that the fundamental impediment to us controlling this disease over the coming months is a lack of transparency.” Clearly on a roll deputy McNamara asked the minister if he thought NPHET members should fill out a declaration of interest form similar to other members of State boards “given the importance of the recommendations that the team makes?” Responding succinctly Minister Stephen Donnelly said he would have no interest in looking into it. 

Dr Glynn said: “For absolute clarity, conflicts of interest are asked for and declared at the beginning of every single NPHET meeting”. For heaven’s sake is this the level of it?

Just shortly after that we had a contribution from Senator Michael McDowell on RTÉ’s News at One. He wants this Committee to keep going, but the least he could have done if he was going to criticise some answers given by witnesses was to listen in.

He referenced the Committee appearance of Fianna Fáil deputy Jim O’Callaghan. The Fianna Fáil TD had arrived in long after the meeting had started. 

“I have not been following the debate because I have been outside the room,” he said by way of an explanation, which must have been a great comfort to the witnesses.

In a nutshell deputy O’Callaghan was ploughing a line of questioning which sought to paint NPHET as overly cautious. It centred on the number of elderly people who had died “with or of Covid” and underlying conditions that might have contributed to their deaths. On it went with Prof Phillip Nolan stating: “I am surprised by the line of narrative.” Prof Nolan explained NPHET’s serious concerns that if things keep going with virus rates the way they currently are older people are seriously vulnerable. 

“It would be very dangerous, therefore, to underestimate the capacity of this virus to kill people when it infects them,” said Prof Nolan.

So then Senator McDowell pops on the radio, mischaracterising what was said in the meeting.

He said: “And as I understand it Dr Ronan McGlynn [stet] objected to those questions being put to him. We live in a world where huge damage is being done.” 

Last but not least, we had the role of the pot stirrer extraordinaire Tánaiste Leo Varadkar on Thursday. In a lengthy interview with The Currency, where the headline talks about him “pushing back on public health advice”, the Tánaiste was pushing a not dissimilar approach to Jim O’Callaghan and Michael McDowell. This just two weeks after his Government launched a plan laying down how we can best live with Covid-19.

No one is saying the economy is not important, or indeed other aspects of the health service or people’s mental health but, (sigh, how many times does this have to be said) the Tánaiste and leader of the second largest party in the Government doing his “playing both sides” thing is the very last thing we need right now.

Beating up on the public health people is simply a thinly veiled effort to make himself look good — in his business ministry, in his role as party leader, and as someone who wants to damage Fianna Fáil. There are ways of saying these things and Leo’s way lately seem to always involve the mé féin approach.

The news that Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is soon to return to his post certainly take pressure off Dr Glynn. However, the work of the NPHET fan club will continue to be very challenging.