Independent TD Mattie McGrath has apologised in the Dáil over remarks he made about chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan, who returned to work last week.
The Tipperary TD had questioned where the CMO had been in the last few months. The CMO had taken leave of absence to care for his wife who is receiving palliative care for terminal cancer.
“I want to profoundly apologise if I caused any offence,” Mr McGrath said. “I want to apologise to his wife and family for any hurt caused.”
Mr McGrath had made the remarks at a media briefing when he criticised the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) advice that the restrictions to deal with Covid-19 should go from Level 2 to Level 5 under the Government’s staged plan to control the spread of the virus.
Mr McGrath claimed that Dr Holohan was “riding back like John Wayne with his six guns swinging around ’I’am going to close down the whole country’.”.
The Tipperary TD asked: “Was he with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the last could of months listening to them, or where was he?”
Nphet was not elected by anybody, he said, adding that “it’s a rotten state of affairs and people are sick of it”.
Apologising in the Dáil, Mr McGrath said he made comments earlier about Dr Holohan, asking where he has been for the last number of months.
“I understand totally where he’s been, looking after his sick wife. I want to profoundly apologise if I caused any offence.”
Mr McGrath said his comments addressed the “furore” over the recommendation by Nphet on Sunday to increase the restrictions to Level 5.
