Here in Ireland, we're trying best to cope with an unprecedented situation. Parking the Cheltenham eejits and the Temple Bar eejits, the vast majority of the population are doing what they can to do play their part in what are extremely stressful times. And yet, you wonder if it will all make a difference. Because of the Brits.
Europe has one approach to coping with Covid-19. Britain seems to have a totally different one. And when you're literally wedged onto the United Kingdom, there are massive repercussions for this country. We've endured three years of British madness due to Brexit, and with the Brits patently at it again during the coronavirus situation, we have to mediate our own national existential coping strategy around our proximity to our irrational next-door neighbour.
The Brits showed their lack of knowledge of Ireland time and again during the Brexit negotiations and just this morning we were given an extreme example of general British ignorance when a qualified doctor told an ITV national tv audience that Ireland doesn't have a health service.
Here's British 'health expert' Linsday Jones on 'Good Morning Britain' this morning
Dr Jones first claims Ireland doesn't have a 'health service' before saying that Ireland's system is 'largely private'. In actual fact, the NHS and the HSE aren't a million miles apart as far as health systems go.
Ireland has a mixed market health service and is broadly similar to the NHS, all hospital services are free, you can opt into private medicine at that level if you choose. Get acquainted with the facts, you are a leader in your field.
— Nick Reilly (@NicReillyDrawda) March 16, 2020
Here in Ireland, we have to believe that there is sound medical logic driving the UK's less-than-urgent reaction to this crisis. But when we see so-called medical experts blundering like this on national TV, you have to wonder if the same ignorance that befuddled the UK leadership during Brexit has infected their handling of this drama.
