Tipperary Rural Independent TD Mattie McGrath is demanding a Comprehensive and Accountable Inquiry into Ireland’s COVID-19 Response.
Deputy McGrath says the government’s decision to conduct an “Independent Pandemic Evaluation” is a step in the right direction, but it falls short of the comprehensive, accountable inquiry that the Irish people deserve.
Deputy McGrath says “The proposed ‘no blame’ approach, while seemingly fair, is turning this evaluation into a mere formality, devoid of any real accountability. Without the power to compel witnesses or limit the government’s discretionary control, the evaluation will fail to provide the rigorous scrutiny necessary to learn from mistakes and prepare for future crises.”
The TD wants Ireland to learn from the approaches taken in other countries to deliver an Inquiry that covers all aspects of Ireland’s response including an examination of excess deaths in Ireland particularly in the last year. Figures from Eurostat show an increase in excess deaths in Ireland of 21.3% in August last year, 17.9% in October, and 10.4% in November.
Deputy McGrath says these figures require a thorough investigation to determine whether they are as a consequence of cancelled or unavailable health treatments during the pandemic because of government-induced cancellations.
