Uncertainty on Government benches over Covid policy as Dáil nears end of term

Good morning - I suppose you could say there’s an “end-of-school-term” feeling around the Dáil. But only if the end of your school year involved trying to pass fiendishly complicated legislation, craft or fend off attacks on same and fight a rearguard action on communications.

It’s a far sight from overdosing on Stinger bars for lunch and watching a movie before heading home early. There were probably fewer ill-judged historical comparisons with Nazi Germany on the last day of school, too.

There was trouble in the air from early on yesterday: during a shaky outing on Morning Ireland, Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin suggested GPs had a role in issuing Covid certs - this was contradicted by Green Party Minister of State Ossian Smyth a couple of hours later, and then it turned out she may have been right after all.

In fact, if you really get into the weeds on it, they’re both sort of right - GPs will likely have some role in issuing alternative proofs for indoor dining, but not for the Digital Covid Cert itself, which will be the main way people will gain access.

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But we don’t know precisely how either proof will be used yet. Or when. Or who will get what kind of cert. See, clear as mud.

Putting aside who was right and who was wrong, the key issue is the lasting impression that will be created by this.

It was a throwback to the shakiest days of last summer and autumn, of mixed messages and an absence of sure-footedness. It wouldn’t be the first time members on the Government benches didn’t fully understand the legislation working its way through the Oireachtas - but rarely is it so blindingly obvious.

A confident and controlled appearance on the Covid cert by no fewer than six civil servants at the transport committee brought some clarity to proceedings, but also served as sharp relief to the confusion on the political side.

As we remarked yesterday, Covid policy is often full of contradictions and inequities - you can do something in one context but not another. The degree to which these come to the fore depends on whether the Government understands and in turn believes the detail and importance of whatever is being worked on, can impart that to its members and, in turn, to voters.

The Opposition made hay, obviously, taking potshots throughout the day, and Alan Kelly could barely contain himself. The Opposition forced the Government to a vote on the health committee so it could waive pre-legislative scrutiny, hammering home the last-minute nature of how serious and complex legislation is being rammed through at lightning speed.

Meanwhile, unanswered questions abound over how the system will work.

Our lead story covers all this off here.

There's a Q&A on the Digital Covid Cert here.

Less visibly, but no less importantly, sparks flew at the Cabinet table in a row that goes to the core of one of the most intractable problems faced by the Government. As political editor Pat Leahy reports, the Summer Economic Statement - a key staging post in the State’s financial calendar - was due to be approved but has not yet been signed off as rolling battles take place over spending and bringing the deficit under control.

More on that story here.

Elsewhere on the front page, Conor Pope reports that half of tenants spend more than 30 per cent of their take-home pay on rent - and 12 per cent pay more than half.

The front page line-up is completed by Kitty Holland's report on a hard-hitting investigation by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission into the failure to spend Traveller accommodation budgets by local authorities.

Jade Wilson has an interesting story on plans to keep remote working for many civil servants up to next year.

Best Reads

Miriam Lord's take on the Tony Ticket farrago is here.

Lara Marlowe's piece on Macron's full-frontal attack on anti-vaxxers is here.

Derek Scally's piece from Berlin, as the Germans struggle to boost vaccination rates, is here.

Liam Herrick, chief executive of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, raises concerns on the rushed laws on indoor dining in the op-ed pages.

Playbook

The end-of-season rush continues, with a Government motion on the extension of mandatory hotel quarantine first up at 9.15am. Private Members’ business follows in the shape of a motion on reopening society from the Rural Independent Group (RIG) at 10am, followed by Leaders’ Questions from the RIG, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.

Questions on promised legislation is at 12.34pm, and Taoiseach’s questions at 1.04pm. The guts of the afternoon will be taken up with legislation on indoor dining, before a quick gear shift for the Coalition’s Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill. The indoor dining legislation will go through the remaining stages in the evening, while Seanad amendments will be taken on the climate action Bill.

There’s also the maritime jurisdiction Bill and the local property tax legislation to be rushed through the remaining stages, with the Dáil currently scheduled to sit until 12.45am on Thursday.

As if that wasn’t enough action, there’s a clatter of early morning committee meetings, with hearings on the Ceta trade deal (EU affairs), a pre-budget submission from Dóchas (foreign affairs) and trade between Ireland and the Palestinian territory (enterprise, trade and employment).

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is also in front of the health committee. They’re all scheduled for 9.30am.

The saga of the certs (digital Covid ones) continues at the transport committee, where Minister of State Ossian Smyth will appear at 12.30pm. Paschal Donohoe is before the finance committee on two double taxation agreements, with Germany and Kosovo, at the same time.

Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers are in front of the tourism, culture, arts, sport and media committee on spending estimates.

At 3.30pm, An Garda Síochána and Samaritans Ireland are in to discuss online safety at the media committee, and Peter Burke answers questions on the rural broadband rollout at the housing committee.

It’s a day off for the Seanad, which will now sit until Friday to deal with the indoor dining legislation. Phew.