That's why UK left! Irish ex-diplomat praises Brexit and says Dublin 'embarrassed' by EU


Ray Bassett believes Ireland has missed out on a golden opportunity to put itself on a similar footing to Israel, which leads the world in terms of the number of vaccine doses it has delivered. Mr Bassett, Ireland’s former ambassador to Canada, Jamaica and the Bahamas, said Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his ministers must apologise for the “desperate” slowness in which jabs were being administered in comparison with Britain.

As of March 27, the rate of vaccinations per 100 people in Ireland stands at 16.25 – marginally above the bloc-wide average of 16.2, and less than a third of the rate in the UK – 50.85.

Mr Bassett said: “The vaccination programme in the Irish Republic has been desperately slow and a huge disappointment to the public.

“There is despondency everywhere. They see their neighbours, cousins and friends across the border in Northern Ireland benefit from a very fast and efficient UK operation.”

The eurosceptic, who backs the idea of Ireland likewise quitting the bloc in a so-called Irexit, explained: “It is clear to all that being outside the European Union has brought advantages.

“The mainstream media in Dublin, which is very pro-EU, is not reflecting the public mood on this issue. We are embarrassed at this debacle.

“Ireland has endured one of the strictest and longest-lasting lockdowns anywhere in the world, yet because of the Government’s failure to procure vaccines, there will be only marginal relaxations in mid-April.”

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“Hence, just like Israel, Ireland would have been very well placed to secure a good supply of vaccine if it had gone its own way.

“Given its potential advantages in this area, it is time the Irish Government apologised for its terrible failure.”

Mr Bassett was speaking at a time of crumbling unity within the EU27 with respect to vaccine policy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed possible cooperation on vaccines with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a joint video conference on Tuesday, Macron’s office and the Kremlin said.

Meanwhile Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is trying to acquire one million doses of the Sputnik V jab.

The Kremlin said in a statement that the trio had discussed the outlook for Russia’s flagship Sputnik V vaccine being registered across the EU as well as potential deliveries and joint production of the vaccine inside the EU.

The European Union’s regulator – the European Medicines Agency – has yet to grant its approval to Sputnik V, but is reviewing it.

Some individual EU member states have either approved it or are assessing it for approval at a national level.

Use of the Russian vaccine has divided the 27-nation bloc with some such as Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, saying it has no need for Sputnik V and others, such as Charles Michel, who chairs EU summits, accusing Moscow of using vaccines for propaganda, something it rejects.



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