Covid-19: Signs of division grow as Government figures resist being 'bounced' into policy choice

Good morning – this morning we led with another sobering milestone in Ireland’s struggle with Covid-19: the number of deaths linked to the virus has now exceeded 2,000, with the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, urging that people need to “work together” to defeat the virus.

In that case, the remainder of our lead story may make for slightly uncomfortable reading for the CMO, and his political colleagues, as it is clear their work together is anything but harmonious.

With the country now entering the closing stages of a six-week lockdown, there is growing evidence of division between the Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet). As we report today, a meeting yesterday between senior officials and Dr Holohan descended into a row over how to exit the lockdown and manage the pandemic over the Christmas period.

To borrow the virological nomenclature so in vogue at the moment, this row was seeded over a month ago, when Nphet began calling for implementation of Level 5. There was an initial flare up following infection, but the Government resistance eventually disappeared like a Department of Health memo at Cabinet. The symptoms of the malaise then abated for a while, but this seems to be a case of Long Covid-row; it may appear to be gone, but really it was just dormant.

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Talking to those in Government in the intervening period, one thing was clear: what happened in October would not be allowed to happen again. There is a general uneasiness among many at the centre of Government at the manner in which they believe Nphet, officially an advisory body, has developed quasi-executive powers, and definite agenda-setting powers when it comes to formulating pandemic policy.

The Government, the theory goes, is constantly on the back foot, reacting to Nphet meetings and the pronouncements of prominent members in the media. While it just wouldn’t be cricket to do anything so drastic as disbanding or reforming Nphet (although don’t rule it out in the long run), a steely resolve has developed in Government that it, not Nphet, holds the power.

Micheál Martin was at pains to tell his parliamentary party last night there will be a Dáil debate to consider all perspectives on the matter of unlocking, that the final say in the matter will be for Cabinet and that much will depend on people's personal behaviour.

Among senior Fine Gael figures, the resolve is even deeper that they won’t be “bounced” into a policy choice again, and the Government has bolstered its statistical and economic analyses, steeling itself for the fight.

There’s a wider game afoot, and yesterday’s row has to be seen in that context.

Elsewhere, there continues to be concern for the welfare of a venerable and Victorian-tinged institution on the north of the Liffey, whose stately occupants’ appetites for exotic foodstuffs results in a bill of €500,000 a month. But enough about the Four Courts, haven’t you heard there’s trouble at the Zoo?

Our coverage of the sprawling controversy arising from Golfgate and Séamus Woulfe’s appointment to the Supreme Court continues today, with the Government firmly dug in on the question of whether Helen McAbsEntee (chapeau, M. Lord) will come before the Dáil for a friendly Q&A on the matter. As a Government source confided on Wednesday, “when Miriam gets involved, it’s not good”.

Read all the details about that row and more in our lead story this morning.

And the aforementioned Miriam Lord's latest take on the Taoiseach's high dudgeon in the Dáil yesterday.

Best reads

Ruadhán Mac Cormaic has a forensic analysis of how Séamus Woulfe's selection for the Supreme Court departed from normal practice here.

Meanwhile, on the op-ed pages, David Kenny neatly fillets the Government's arguments against the Q&A with the Minister for Justice.

Our Brussels Correspondent, Naomi O'Leary, has an interesting piece on how the pandemic is changing how we live.

Playbook

Starting with the big off-campus event, there’s a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team scheduled for today. Expect more focus on this than in recent weeks, as the boffins turn their big brains to the politically vexed matter of reopening.

Health Editor Paul Cullen decries the dearth of cold, hard facts as we contemplate reopening the country.

In the Dáil, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is set to take Leader’s Questions at midday. Expect the Opposition to focus doggedly on what the Fine Gael leader knew, and when, about the Woulfe appointment, as it seeks to keep the political focus on matters McEntee.

The Dáil’s business committee will also meet, with the Opposition certain to try again to get the Q&A on the agenda

My colleague Jennifer Bray has a report on legal advice given to Oireachtas members on a potential impeachment process, which will doubtless hang over proceedings today.

There will also be questions for Minister for Culture Catherine Martin, as well as a statements on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and an update on Simon Harris's new Department of Further and Higher Education. The full schedule is here.

There is no business scheduled for the Seanad.

The education committee will hear from teachers’ unions on the safe and sustainable opening of schools, while there will be officials from the Revenue Commissioners before the Public Accounts Committee.

The justice committee will hear evidence from Minister of State James Browne and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe on anti money-laundering legislation. The full schedule is here.