Sir, – The first lockdown was sold to the Irish people as necessary to “flatten the curve”. Recent pronouncements from members of Nphet now suggest that a continuing lockdown is required to reduce waiting lists and ensure our health service can cope with demand.
Given that Nphet is primarily composed of HSE and Department of Health management, it is legitimate to question why other European countries have been able to escape with far shorter lockdowns.
We should not lose sight of the reality that in Ireland lengthy waiting lists (particularly for disability services) long predate Covid. There exists a risk that those responsible for those waiting lists are now using Covid to essentially deflect attention from their own mismanagement of the health service.
The hundreds of thousands who have lost their jobs or had to close their businesses are victims of not just of Covid but years of health service mismanagement. Unfortunately those responsible for this mismanagement are suffering no financial loss whatsoever; indeed, with recent pay agreements, many of them appear to be better off financially. – Yours, etc,
RUARY MARTIN,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18.