Daniel McConnell: Massive moment for Irish society after 'crushing disappointments'

Taoiseach Micheál Martin announcing the Government’s plan for the 'new normal' at Government Buildings. Picture: Julien Behal

Free at last? Well, almost.

We are roughly 50 days and three steps away from the freedom we have all craved.

The significant announcement from Taoiseach Micheál Martin about the easing of Covid-19 restrictions by October 22 cannot be underestimated.

It is a massive moment for our poor old, battered country and its people.

Following 18 gruelling months of, as he put it, “false dawns and crushing disappointments”, those sectors that have remained closed because of the virus can look to the future with optimism.

“The days of hope are here,” Mr Martin declared in Irish at the conclusion of his press conference.

In what was probably his most convincing speech since taking office, an assured Taoiseach defended the high degree of caution exercised by his Government this year so far, insisting such prudence has allowed this process of reopening to commence now.

“Protecting lives and public health has demanded policies which have often been frustrating. And I know that at different times, the different approaches of some other countries looked more attractive and debates about this led to some tensions,” he said.

'We looked out for each other'

“But I also know this. Despite these frustrations and tensions, and despite genuine concern for the disproportionate burden borne by some sectors, we kept our head as a country. We stuck together, we followed the best advice, we did what we were asked and we looked out for each other,” he added.

What is clear since the summer break is that a major sea-change in the thinking at the top echelons of Government has taken place.

Behind the scenes, there have been strong calls for the debate to no longer simply be about the public health impact of Covid-19.

Instead, for the first time this year, wider considerations have thankfully taken precedence and, for many, the announcement marks the point at which the Government stopped treating its people as sheep and began to treat us as adults.

Confirming the move away from the current rules-based model of restrictions, Mr Martin made clear it is no longer the Government’s intention to limit our personal freedoms. It is now up to us to make this work.

“The múinteoir won’t be watching,” quipped Mr Martin during the press conference after his national address. “Neither will the doctor,” interjected Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.

We will soon be free. We will soon be able to sing again, dance again, go to a gig, play a game of five-a-side football, act in a play. 

We will soon be able to live our lives as we did before and how life is intended to be lived. Many of our most cherished pursuits which have been abandoned for the greater good will once again enrich our lives.

By any standard, the Irish adherence to and tolerance of the Covid-19 restrictions has been extraordinary, as has our willingness to take the vaccines.

That high level of take-up of the vaccine has truly allowed the landscape to change from one of fear to one of hope and ambition.

“As of this morning, close to 90% of all citizens over the age of 18 had been fully vaccinated. And the rate of uptake in our citizens under the age of 18 is hugely encouraging also,” he said.

At Cabinet, the plan was approved without any dissenting voices, despite significant concern about just what sort of spike in case numbers we will see in the weeks ahead.

This point is important, as if this all goes wrong, no one in Cabinet will be able to say they foresaw the difficulty.

Mr Martin was said to have been “impressive” in his handling of the measures, and that is according to some Fine Gael ministers.

This was a huge moment for him.

Earlier this year, he hitched his legacy to the success of the vaccine programme and it can legitimately be argued that his gamble has paid off.

He made a passionate defence for the strategy so far this year, just about avoiding entering the “I told you so” space he is frequently so fond of.

But as he said, the road ahead is not an easy one nor is it risk-free.

“It is important to stress that the pandemic is not over. With this Delta variant, in particular, great uncertainties remain, and we need to continue to be careful,” he added. 

“I've never believed that there would be a day when we were just able to announce that the pandemic was over. This would be entirely the wrong message to send, and it would undermine our ability to respond properly to new developments.” 

Mr Martin also warned that the country faces a very difficult winter in our healthcare settings. The advice of public health officials is that other respiratory viruses including colds and flus may be more impactful this winter because we're more susceptible to them after the reduced exposure of last year, he said.

So, all of this could still be derailed, with ministers nervous about things in the North and Scotland, in particular.

Such concerns cannot be ignored and need to be monitored.

Thankfully, however, we as a country will finally begin to live with Covid-19 rather than living in fear of it.

For the hardest hit sectors, the arts, music, and live entertainment, which have had to sit back and watch the rest of the country get working, the road to freedom now stands tantalisingly close. Now with the clarity they have long been seeking, they can begin to plan their road back from the brink of disaster.

They have suffered enormously for the greater good. We all have.

The emergency is now officially coming to an end and soon, very soon, we will be free at last.