Mattie McGrath decries Covid mismanagement, warns of no-deal harm
Mattie McGrath spoke on 20 Oct 2020, warning that Brexit uncertainty and alleged government and HSE mismanagement of the Covid-19 response threaten exporters, farmers and rural families. He called for European solidarity, criticised testing and transparency, and warned of the economic and social costs of a possible no-deal Brexit.
Brexit and trade uncertainty
He warned that time is short before potential no-deal consequences, highlighting exporters, farmers, truckers and small manufacturers who need certainty. He raised concerns about port delays, customs checks, the movement of milk and other goods across the border, and the impact of a disrupted Brexit outcome on jobs and rural families.
Criticism of government and the HSE
He accused the government and the HSE of ineptitude in handling Covid-19 despite extra funding, asking whether there is any coherent plan. He recalled comments from the Taoiseach about EU contributions and argued Ireland had been "cleaned out" in the bailout, citing high interest rates, and said the health system is not fit for purpose.
Testing and transparency
He criticised lack of transparency around PCR testing and questioned the HSE's procurement choices, contrasting perceived high costs paid per test with much lower-cost alternatives. He suggested control motives and called for honesty and integrity in the testing regime.
Social impact and controversial claims
He warned that harsher restrictions and fines would punish people and damage the nation's future, invoking commemorations and saying the measures risk "perishing our nation". He made strong claims about demographic impact, including a statement about last year's abortion numbers, and accused policy-makers of letting the elderly die.
Appeal for solidarity and accountability
He repeatedly asked the minister for answers and urged solidarity from European partners, saying rural communities need clarity and support. He demanded openness from political leaders and institutions so that families, businesses and farmers can plan for 2021.
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I too am glad to be able to speak on this evening. People in Ireland today are in a very difficult position, they are just weary of Brexit for the last three or four years and then on comes Covid and now we have seen the ineptitude of our government in dealing with Covid and the ineptitude of the HSE who weren't able to cope any winter despite getting a billion euro each year extra thrown in for good measure to expand our system. and now we see that we are unable to deal with Covid and I have to wonder is there a plan, is it all left there to plan to just let the people, let them eat cake? Winston has been made about solidarity from Europe. I wonder where is the solidarity? We have all these statements from Boris Johnson and Michael Gove and indeed Michelle Barney and many others but time has nearly elapsed. We are in the dying minutes of the game and we are into November next week and we have two short months in, one of the shortest months of the year and then we have the Christmas season and then before we know it we are in 2021 and no deal. So the people need to know, the exporters, the farmers, the ordinary workers, the many machinery companies that create wonderful products and export their products, they need to have some certainty and the people in the truckers, what is going to happen? What is going to happen? Are there going to be 10 hour delays at ports? Is there going to be custom checks or whatever? The game is just too serious now and the stakes are too high for all these small business people and the people they imply. We know of all the milk and all the other exports that go up and down from Northern Ireland across an invisible border now thankfully that shouldn't be there. But the border is there unfortunately and we have to deal with it and we can't just be hiding from it and running away from it. I don't know how long ago it was since the now tarnished of Radka didn't teach you to come back with a game stopper, with a game changer. At backstop, sorry, the backstop was, everything was fine, so like the mountains that were protecting us but that's all gone and the sands have shifted. But we need solidarity now from our European partners more than ever. They should be able to give it to us. We have been, after all, the best buys in the class in Europe. Even though Taoiseach Martin came home from the most recent summers, where we were going to be the fourth highest net contributor now to the EU and he thought it was a good deal. Even though we were cleaned out. We were cleaned out in the so-called bailout after we bailed out the banks here. They charged us the highest interest rates they could do, 6%. We could get money from the IMF at the time for 2.9%. So where is the solidarity? That's what I'm asking. And I'm asking Minister Byrne here, where's the solidarity? I don't see much of it. The people that I represent in Tipperary, whether they be farming, whether they be in manufacturing, whether they be in any kind of exports or whatever, and jobs down the line and, above all, families in rural Ireland don't see any solidarity. And they are worried about the future of their families and their ability to live and to be able to survive in 2021. That's just with Brexit. And then we have COVID. Where is the solidarity there? Here we are. We're top of the class in Europe as regards restrictions. We're up to today and up to tonight. But tomorrow night at 12 o'clock we're going to be way top of the class. He's again jumping up to see how good we're here to ally Europe. We are great people. We do this, we do that. We're the least highest of numbers of cases, even though there's no transparency around the cases, the PCR tests. Other people have mentioned tests here that should be done, but won't be done. What are the HSE protecting? Why won't it take some of the other people who have come from with tests at a miniscule cost of 10, 20 and 30 euro a head? They prefer to pay 195 per head. It's all about control, because if they get a new test, they might be found out. Control. We need honesty, we need some integrity in the system, and we need support. We need to get the blindfolding off the people's eyes and come out and be honest and live with the people. Thankfully, the numbers of deaths in Ireland are less than 19, 18, 17 and 15. One death is one too many. Why can't people wake up and see this? Tear the answers out of you, Minister. If you won't give them, tear them out of you, because you won't give them, because it's all controlled, and the media is well controlled. Now we're going to talk about restrictions tomorrow night, to get the fines, to crucify our people, to really perish our people. We're commemorating the anniversary of the date of Sean Tracey, and two of the Wild Brothers murdered in Banjo by Crown Forces last Sunday, 100 years ago. And here we are, perishing our nation, destroying our children, destroying our future, and we're throwing billions of pounds at it. Where are you getting it from? Who's giving you the money? Because it has to be paid back. We have no honesty, no transparency. We have a health system that is not fit for purpose and has left us in this perilous situation. But I have come to the conclusion now that it's done deliberately, to let the old people die. Kill all the young people with abortion. 6666 of them were abortion last year in Ireland. So that's what you're at now. Cherish the people equally. Not the unborn and not the elderly. And level with the people. I'm asking you, Minister. Get the solidarity from Europe here. Why do we have to invest by it in the class and get nowhere and get no thanks for it? Goal Machchit.
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