Council to seek emergency meeting with Health Minister over lockdown

by David Power

Offaly County Council is to seek an urgent meeting with the Minister for Health, amid calls for the lockdown of the county to be lifted, following a special meeting of the local authority on Tuesday afternoon.

Several councillors were critical of the approach which saw restrictive measures put in place in relation to travel and closures of businesses for two weeks, for Offaly, Laois and Kildare. Many stressed that south Offaly is far removed from the areas of recent Covid-19 cases.

Opening the Zoom meeting, Cathaoirleach Cllr John Carroll said to say people are upset and annoyed about Offaly being placed in lockdown on Friday “would be an understatement”.

“The people of Offaly are not responsible for any infections or for a number of positive tests in recent weeks,” he said.

“The responsibility lies with the government,” he said. The Cathaoirleach said the “powers-that-be had sat on their hands” in relation to regulations - “and we are now counting the costs”.

He urged people to stay vigilant and not become complacent on the threat of Covid-19.

The whole of the county needs to be reopened, the Cathaoirleach said. “We are paying the penalty for the misjudgement of others,” he said.

Stressing the low numbers in his own electoral area, Cllr Carroll said there had been just 17 cases in Birr, 6 in Banagher and 5 in Ferbane since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March. “Yet here we are now in lockdown,” he said.

Significant efforts had been made to attract tourists to the county through funding in cycleways and the reopening of restaurants etc. he said.

Action needs to be taken on behalf of the three counties, he said. If there had been a decision to put such measures in Dublin, “the Dáil would be recalled,” he said.

He said decision makers must act and a “special stimulus package” is required for Offaly, Laois and Kildare.

A meeting is also needed with the Minister for Health, he said.

A multi-agency approach has been adopted, Chief Executive Anna Marie Delaney told the meeting. She said the Covid-19 response group featured representatives from the HSE, local authority, Garda Siochana and was cross regional for Offaly, Laois and Kildare.

A tri-county group will be publishing a daily report from the following day (Wednesday) she outlined.

“It is very frustrating for everybody,” Ms Delaney said, particularly for tourism and business. There had been a “high degree of compliance” in Offaly in relation to public health advice, she said. The amount of people wearing face masks and keeping a distance of two metres was obvious, she said.

“We need to double down on our efforts on precautions,” Ms Delaney said in relation to handwashing and other measures.

“There has been quite a significant amount of traction on our recovery,” the Chief Executive said.

In their efforts to assist local business, she said additional funding for the Restart Grant was most welcome which has now been increased to €300m nationally. Businesses which had already received funding can now reapply for additional funding, she said.

A lengthy discussion then followed from the floor, during which several councillors sought a meeting with the Minister of Health and a reversal of the lockdown measures for the county.