Deputy Michael McNamara has requested the Government to enable employers to provide a €1,000 Covid bonus to qualifying employees without them or their employees incurring a tax liability.
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara today called on the Government to continue the derogation that was in place up to now that enables farmers to burn green waste such as hedge cuttings and trimming and dead scrub that was previously cut and left to dry out.
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara today called for an independent investigation into ongoing overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), where a record 111 patients were on trolleys this morning.
Addressing Taoiseach Micheal Martin during Promised legislation in Dáil Éireann today, Deputy McNamara said the exponential growth in trolley numbers at UHL was unlikely to be halted by the introduction of additional beds alone and that consideration should be given to upgrading other hospitals within the UHL Group.
Responding to Deputy McNamara, the Taoiseach said he would request the Minister for Health and the HSE to review the Clare TD’s proposal around the causes of ongoing overcrowding.
Deputy McNamara commented, “There is no clear indication as to why UHL is consistently the most overcrowded hospital in the country. I don’t know whether it is how admissions and discharges are managed in the hospital or if Ennis, Nenagh or St. Johns need to be upgraded to Model 3 Hospitals. An investigation needs to be commissioned without delay.”
The unparalleled scale of PCR testing in Ireland – to the exclusion of antigen testing – has led to astronomical costs being incurred. Government must explain why we had so much, and such expensive, PCR testing and stalled antigen testing despite an expert report calling for it.