People Before Profit Motion On Zero Covid

With Thomas Pringle TD, Catherine Connolly TD, Joan Collins TD,

People Before Profit along with three left wing independent TDs are moving the resolution below. They have asked the opposition parties to back it.

Dail Eireann notes that:

• the Government’s strategy “Living with Covid” was first unveiled in September 2020;
• the stated aim of the strategy was to manage the risk and repair the damage that COVID-19 had inflicted thus far on society;
• since then the economy has been shut down and the movements of people have been severely restricted on two further occasions;
• the number of cases of Covid 19 in Ireland is now, on 25 January,  187,554, more than double the 72,798 on 1 December;
• the number of deaths has risen from 2069 to 2970 in the same period;
• our hospitals have in many areas reached capacity with 1948 Covid patients in hospital, double the number that were in hospital at the height of the first wave last April;
• there are currently 219 Covid patients in ICU  up from 25 on Christmas Day;

 and also notes that

• the INMO have called for the nationalisation of private hospital capacity to combat this crisis;
• that the decision of the government to disregard public health advice in October and again in December has led directly to the increase in cases and deaths;

further notes that:

• the current surge in Covid19 infections & deaths and the crisis in our hospitals resulting in an almost complete lockdown for the third time clearly demonstrate that the “Living with Covid” strategy has failed;
• contrary to the government’s claims that “Living with Covid” would keep the economy open it has actually meant the economy has been almost completely closed for the best part of 6 months over the last 10 months and is now likely to be shut until at least the end of March;
• ad hoc and reactive measures have failed in the fight against Covid19 and a comprehensive alternative strategy is now urgently required;
• the failure to build up permanent capacity cross our hospitals, including ICU, has left our health system extremely vulnerable;
• the current vaccination programme alone is not a solution and will not stop the need for further lockdowns in the next year if we continue with the “Living with Covid” strategy;

and therefore calls on the government to:

• adopt the “Zero Covid” or “Elimination” strategy promoted by many public health and infectious diseases specialists and scientists to drive community transmission down to zero;
• stop all non-essential travel into Ireland with 14 day quarantine provided by the state for all incoming travellers;

• implement quality case management systems including increasing weekly testing capacity and increasing resources for contact tracing to allow for backward tracing and source investigation;

• empower the HSA to inspect workplaces and fine employers who refuse to allow workers to work from home, where it is possible for them to do so

• close the loopholes in the list of essential services to ensure that only genuinely essential employees are compelled to work in Level 5;

• increase permanent capacity in our public hospitals, including through nationalisation of private hospital capacity;

• improve wages and conditions for frontline healthcare workers, including those in testing and tracing roles, and end the excessive reliance on agency workers and precarious contracts;
• implement rapid testing in congregated settings such as homeless hostels, care homes, student accommodation, direct provision etc and move people out of these settings where appropriate;
• target Covid hotspots by increasing inspections of large factories and workplaces;
• implement serial testing of workers in healthcare settings, meat plans and other areas of increased occupational hazard;
• increase targeted supports for those who have lost income as a result of the pandemic, including full sick pay and paid parental leave;
• ban all evictions and rent increases  and direct      the banks to ensure mortgage and loan repayment holidays with no additional interest charges are introduced for the duration of the pandemic;
• pursue proactively a “Zero Covid” strategy on an All Ireland basis with the Northern Executive;
• –         support the international ‘People’s Vaccine’ campaign for a patent free vaccine;

• –         resist calls from lobbyists to re-open the economy until we have achieved elimination of community transmission.