Sir, – By mid-May, the people of this island will be one of the most restricted and deprived populations – in terms of movement, assembly, economic activity, access to education, social and cultural and sporting activities – in the European Union. We will be a European outlier not just physically, but as a society and economy.
Are we worse affected by Covid-19 than almost all of our continental neighbours, or less capable than other states of dealing with it, or is our Government simply less trusting that our populace can behave responsibly?
None of these options shed a particularly flattering light on our Government’s response.
Ministers and other officials making decisions would do well to remember that they are in the privileged position of still being permitted to attend work, to encounter colleagues and members of the public (at a distance) and to be paid their normal salary.
They underestimate the desperate need for hope and the importance of something to look forward to, perhaps because their lives have not been altered to the same drastic extent as many in the country. – Yours, etc,
HAZEL NÍ hAIMHEIRGÍN,
Terenure,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – It’s a strange coincidence that the Government is warning of “seismic activity” as evidence of “complacency” on the part of the Irish people the same week as it realises that testing capacity goals will not be met by May 5th. Whose fault is it really that restrictions can’t be lifted soon? – Yours, etc,
ORLA HEATLEY,
Wicklow.
Sir, –The draft plan outlined in "Phased plan to exit coronavirus lockdown" (News, April 29th) does not inspire any great confidence. Between initial phases, early phases, middle phases and late phases which can be broken down into more stages, the mind boggles. I am becoming more phased out by the whole thing! – Yours, etc,
TADHG McCARTHY,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.