Irish Examiner view: Rules tested

Support for the Government's handling of Covid-19 has fallen to 43%, the first time it has gone below 50%.

A weekend opinion poll records that support for government pandemic measures has fallen dramatically.  Support for the Government's handling of Covid-19 has fallen to 43%, the first time it has gone below 50%. The survey also found that 53% disapproved strongly of how Government has dealt with the roll-out of vaccines.

Missed delivery dates for vaccines, shameful insider opportunism at the Beacon, and among some HSE staff, on vaccine queue-jumping all contributed to this frustration.

However, should the High Court inquiry into the detention of two women who refused to enter mandatory hotel quarantine after arriving at Dublin Airport after a "birthday-present" trip to Dubai find that quarantine measures do not have the necessary force of law then that disapproval rating will soar.

We were far too slow not to take advantage of our island status to try to limit infections and if those put in place are found to be illegal then the Government can expect a huge collapse in its support. And we will be left wondering how we can get out of this mess.