The Taoiseach has criticised comments made by a party colleague about Ireland's public health chief, after the Fianna Fail TD called for an end to the Covid-19 briefings.
It was reported that Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry told a Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting that acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn was "scaring the bejaysus" out of people.
According to the Irish Independent, the TD also told his party leader Micheal Martin to stop doing press conferences with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar as he was "running rings around him".
The Fianna Fail leader said that, from the outset of forming the Cabinet and appointing Government ministers, Mr MacSharry has "made it clear that he is dissatisfied".
"He's entitled to his views, I disagree of course with them," Mr Martin said on Friday.
"I focus on the issues of substance, such as dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, dealing also with the challenges of Brexit.
"One point I would like to make, where I would seriously disagree with Marc MacSharry is his comments in relation to the (acting) chief medical officer in that we should take him off the screens or somehow disappear him from public view.
"I think that was something I couldn't quite comprehend because the Irish people want to hear from the CMO, they value and respect Dr Ronan Glynn and his predecessor Tony Holohan, because in a global pandemic people want information, they want reassurance.
"Those societies that value public health advice have done best so far in this global pandemic.
"Those that endeavour to relegate the views of public health experts have not done as well in mortality, or in terms of dealing overall with issues of Covid-19."
