to think Irish PM Leo Varadkar should hold a press conference to explain why he flouted his own lockdown rules?

[Hypocraticoats]

One rule for politicians and another for the plebs?

If you have no idea of our lockdown guidelines how can you possibly make any decision or give an answer? Seriously?

However, I've no knowledge of Irish lockdown guidelines

Why don't you rtft then - you'll learn all you need to know, as numerous posters have explained our guidelines (which he wasn't breaking, btw)

Another thing I find is that people have very little comprehension of 2 metres (Myself included). It’s not as far away as you think.

We were meeting friends outside and I asked DH to space out deck chairs 2 metres apart. When he did it they looked so close together it actually made me uncomfortable so I moved them to what I thought was a safe distance apart - DH informed me this was 5 metres away rather than 2. So in the video they actually look to be properly spaced out. We also found it’s difficult not to ‘drift’ when you’re standing up which is why having chairs to sit in is better.

I’ve seen some tripe about Leo with people saying when his friend bent over to get something out of his bag his head was 0.5 metres away from Leo’s ankle and honestly people need to get a grip!!! He’s not going to spread covid by breathing near his ankle for a minute while he gets something

Common sense needs to apply. He’s done a fantastic job in difficult circumstances. We are down to less than 100 cases a day now and yesterday no deaths. Now is the time to be sensible.. let the man enjoy a drink with friends outside socially distanced correctly 90% of the time. It’s the best we can all do under the circumstances.

Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone admittedly I foolishly didn't RTFT. I was misguidedly going by UK guidelines which I thought may be along the same lines. Sorry.

Thankfully our guidelines since C19 hit our island have been VERY different to that of the UK. This is why we stand up for Leo the way we do because he has done his country proud so i do not care if he sunbathes naked once he keeps us safe.

I was misguidedly going by UK guidelines which I thought may be along the same lines.

The only criticism that I have of our government was that they didn't lockdown fast enough, but once they did, they've played a blinder since.

This was clearly to deflect from the shitshow Boris has been in charge of. Honestly it could be an episode of Yes PrimeMinister if it wasn't so bloody tragic that you've got the second highest death toll while your politicians are patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

I was misguidedly going by UK guidelines which I thought may be along the same lines.

It may be useful to reflect on why you did that.

ROI is a separate country. It took a different (and if I may say so, much more successful) approach to containing CV. Why would the guidelines be the same?

Cheers to all those posters defending Leo on this thread.
The ignorance of so many UK posters re Ireland being an independent country

Im not usually a Leo fan but the government have done well during this awful time.

The only criticism that I have of our government was that they didn't lockdown fast enough, but once they did, they've played a blinder since.

The U.K. locked down on March 23 (I believe ROI was a few days later on March 27).

This was two weeks too late AT LEAST and many deaths could have been prevented had they got their arses into gear to begin with.

If/when there is a second wave then I hope all countries have learned the cost of dragging their heels and bloody snap to it.

I also want to point out to UK readers of the thread that we in the ROI don't in fact have a mandated government as such at all at the moment -- we had a general election in January, an enormously split vote, and the process of government formation was still dragging on when C-19 hit in March. The current government is essentially a caretaker one, in situ only until a fully-mandated one can be arrived at. And, despite that, the Dáil managed to overcome interparty sniping in order to put together a coherent response to the pandemic.

The Irish schools closed the 12 of March. Pubs and clubs the 15th it was before St Patrick's day.
I think shops were a week later.

Is this another thick Tory who doesn't know that The Republic of Ireland is a different country to the UK ?

(Answer: almost certainly yes).

The old adage about only opening a mouth to change feet rings so true here.

@Clearoutre No Ireland shut down 10 days before the UK.

The roi locked down officially on the 27th, but schools were closed on march 12th and other precautions had already been put in place.

Another thing I find is that people have very little comprehension of 2 metres (Myself included). It’s not as far away as you think

Just having been in the garden and doing the measuring, i think the opposite. And that 1.5m would be enough.

some measuring

Sorry @Clearoutre we actually shut up schools colleges and all workplaces who could work from home on the 12th of March, pubs and nightclubs closed a few days later before at Patrick’s day and the following Friday went into proper lockdown with everything shut down and no movement of people so well before the UK did anything. I remember as we were all horrified at Cheltenham going ahead.

@Serendipity

Is this another thick Tory who doesn't know that The Republic of Ireland is a different country to the UK ?

(Answer: almost certainly yes).

You don’t say who this comment is aimed at?

Looks like I got my dates wrong for the ROI lockdown!

I read it here & here before posting and thought these were reliable sources but evidently not

connachttribune.ie/varadkar-orders-two-week-lockdown-in-ireland/amp/

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/stay-home-varadkar-urges-irish-in-drastic-lockdown

Apologies to anyone offended.

I think the not taking tops off in Emgland is wishful thinking. I read on here about a sweaty topless man leaning him moobs against a cold meat counter screen once. Just the idea was enough to traumatise me.

Leo did nothing wrong, haven't seen the pictures but can only imagine it is less bothersome than a topless British Taoiseach. No offense Boris, I'm just shallow.

In England it is a class issue so you tend not to find a leader (no matter what their class) doing it unless on a beach on holiday. However there is no reason Ireland has to be the same as England.

@Clearoutre No offence taking.
@Xenia I think it was a first here too. No harm done, LV is definitely MC.

Gay and half Indian at that. I envisage many a Tory supporter fainting at the mere thought!
Given they have Sharma, Sumak and Patel currently as ministers I shouldn’t think they’d be that bothered.

Re the horror at Cheltenham going ahead, it wasn’t shared by the 15000-20000 of Irish people who attended this year and were allowed to return to Ireland without self-isolating as England was considered safer than Spain or Italy.

The sources aren’t wrong, the word lockdown was officially applied at that point. However the main ‘lockdown’ measures were implemented earlier, beginning with March 12th when the schools shut (with a few hours notice). A date I’ll never forget.

Not saying those three are gay, though quite honestly who cares enough to even wonder. Though I like Rishi a little more since cv.