Ireland’s rising Covid-19 case numbers ‘a definite cause for concern’ – Varadkar

The Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting heard that the Government will have to take this into account before any decision on easing restrictions.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar (Julien Behal Photography/PA)

By James Ward, PA

March 24 2021 08:53 PM

Ireland’s rising Covid-19 case numbers are “a definite cause for concern”, Leo Varadkar has told his party.

A meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday night heard that the Government will have to take this into account before any decision on easing restrictions, due on April 5.

Case numbers, hospital admissions, intensive care unit numbers and the progress of the vaccination programme will all be considered before any decision is made, TDs and Senators heard.

The Fine Gael leader said more than 700,000 vaccines have been administered nationwide and more than 10% of the population have received one vaccine.

Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre @hpscireland has today been notified of 18 additional deaths related to #COVID19.
— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) March 24, 2021

On plans for lifting restrictions, Mr Varadkar said schools staying open and people’s mental health with some extra freedoms were the current focus, according to sources present at the meeting.

Mr Varadkar said the introduction of mandatory hotel quarantine, beginning this week, will mean Ireland has the strictest travel rules in the European Union.

The Fine Gael leader also said he was concerned about any potential international vaccine export ban.

He warned such a move could leave everyone worse off and he will be discussing this at Thursday’s online EPP summit with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

The party meeting also passed a motion calling Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to provide them with an update on his Affordable Housing Scheme.

The scheme has faced criticism from the ESRI and Central Bank among others.

A motion brought to the meeting by TD Charles Flanagan, which read “That this PP receive an oral update & detailed briefing from the Minister for Housing on plans by the government to develop & increase availability of affordable housing across the State”, was agreed unanimously.