Independent TD Thomas Pringle has compared Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s reaction to NPHET advice to the behaviour of US President Donald Trump.
Deputy Pringle told the Dáil that the Tánaiste was playing politics following the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet)’s request to move the country to Level 5 restrictions. The recommendation was rejected by government ministers on Monday, who implemented Level 3 restrictions nationwide instead.
The Tánaiste came under fire on Monday when he said Nphet’s call for Level 5 lockdown “hadn’t been thought through”.
Thomas Pringle TD was backing a call for the restoration of Pandemic Unemployment Payments today when he criticised the Tánaiste’s response to the issue and the way news from Nphet has been received by the government.
Deputy Pringle told the Dáil it was a “particularly Trump-like reaction of the Tánaiste, who rubbishes the news when he gets it first and then actually tells his party, knowing full well that it will be widely circulated, that it’s going to happen anyway.
“But in the meantime, the base is getting a great boost at how the hard man is taking on the freeloaders who are putting the people who work for a living to the sword because they won’t be affected anyway.”
Watch the statement here:
https://twitter.com/ThomasPringleTD/status/1313800151920709632?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet