Coveney no-confidence vote
Any Fianna Fáil TD who fails to vote against a no-confidence motion in Simon Coveney will face suspension, the Taoiseach has warned.
Micheál Martin, speaking on the final day of his party’s think-in in Co Cavan, said he expects all TDs to oppose a Sinn Féin motion of no confidence in the Minister for Foreign Affairs, adding he will be applying the party whip.
He confirmed TDs abstaining on the vote will also face consequences.
“As a party, our focus is on the issues that matter to the people of Ireland,” he said.
“For those issues, you need a Government.”
Vaccination milestone
The Government's reopening plan to lift all major Covid-19 restrictions by October 22nd has received a boost, as Ireland reached a “major milestone” in its Covid-19 vaccination rollout on Friday amid falling infection rates.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that 90 per cent of adults now fully vaccinated, adding that more than seven million vaccines will have been administered by the end of Friday.
It comes as the average rate of Covid-19 infection across Ireland has fallen by 14 per cent in the last two weeks, according to weekly figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
A fortnight ago the average incidence rate had climbed to 526.4 but has continued to fall, reaching 450.9 as of last Monday.
However, Ireland also continues to have the highest incidence rate of the disease in the European Union, with data produced by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) showing a 14-day incidence rate of 434 cases per 100,000 people.
Sláintecare resignations
A member of the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council has warned that the resignation of two senior members of the management team this week was very serious.
Dr Eddie Molloy told RTÉ radio’s News at One that he was not aware of the encounters that Dr Tom Keane and Laura Magahy had which provoked their resignations, but for people of their stature to take this decision was very serious, he said.
Dr Molloy was commenting on a report that 11 members of the Advisory Council had expressed “shock, regret and concern” at the resignations. According to RTÉ the council members said they were seeking answers from the Minister for Health and his department regarding the events that led up to the resignations.
“In light of these developments, as members of SIAC, we urge the Government to ensure the Sláintecare programme of reforms is implemented in word, deed and spirit”.
Rotunda controversy
The Minister for Health has called for the Rotunda Hospital to explain why an RTÉ camera crew was allowed to film a programme during the pandemic while partners of pregnant women faced restrictions.
The latest series of The Rotunda, which documents the stories of expectant parents, started this week.
It has faced widespread criticism as a film crew was permitted on site when partners of expectant mothers were forced to wait outside maternity hospitals because of Covid restrictions.
Stephen Donnelly said the Master of the Rotunda should make a statement on its decision to go ahead with filming.
