A Government TD has accused Cabinet Ministers of 'not doing their job properly' when it comes to managing the pandemic.

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny John McGuinness also specifically criticised the Health Minister for 'bad' and 'poor' management.

He was speaking amid anger among TDs over the delaying of re-opening indoor dining.

Deputy McGuinness told The Hard Shoulder the Government is trying to shift the blame.

"I thought it was a very poorly communicated decision, and I have witnessed the various ministers that sit around [the] Cabinet table now trying to push the blame towards Tony Holohan and others running for cover.

"When in fact, they could have and should have discussed this more openly with Tony Holohan and with their colleagues in Cabinet.

"The Government with Tony Holohan are managing this pandemic and our response to it.

"And I have to say that I find it hard to believe that this letter from Tony Holohan was the first that they had learned of the difficulties that were coming up in terms of the Delta variant.

"They should have known it and they should have been planning far in advance of the announcement.

"And when the announcement was made, they should have been a lot more informative.

"They came out and they said 'We're not opening' and gave no date - even an indicative date - of when they might open.

"These small businesses have been investing in their staff, investing in their stocks, investing in their businesses - suddenly to be told 'We're not opening this day either' - it simply isn't good enough."

'Having a conversation now with the sector, after you just closed them down again, is just poor management.' @JMcGuinnessTD on @TheHardShoulder discussing restrictions on indoor businesses pic.twitter.com/0mJoxpM1xV

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) June 30, 2021

'We've had enough'

He says the excuse that the situation is ever-changing is no longer sufficient.

"I think that publicly, we've had enough of that.

"We don't see the data, we don't see the analysis - we are being provided with some analysis today - but surely the point is that the Government should have had all of that analysis, and all of that understanding about Delta, before they came to that Cabinet meeting.

"And before, as they are now reporting, that this was landed as a grenade on their Cabinet table.

"It shows a very poor approach to governance in the context of the country and the Cabinet, quite frankly".

And Deputy McGuinness says he was "shocked" at the approach of his party colleague - Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

"When the Minister for Health came out as part of this announcement and said that we now have to have a conversation with the sector, quite frankly I was just shocked at that statement.

"Having a conversation now with the sector after you've just closed them down again is just poor management, it's bad management and it shouldn't happen."

He adds that Ireland's timing on this is completely out of kilter.

"I'm sorry, look all over Europe: that conversation has been had months ago, solutions have been put in place and there wasn't this kneejerk reaction which has caused uproar in the hospitality sector.

"Everyone acknowledges the damage that Delta variant can do, we understand that - we haven't been privy to the modelling and to the commentary internally from Tony Holohan.

"But from news and watching the world news, you come to know about it".

"They didn't make themselves aware, they're not doing their job at Cabinet in the context of managing the country, they're not doing it very well.

"They should have known this from Tony Holohan as they went along, walking with him - and indeed the Minister for Health - and the same corridor as him.

"They should have known that this day was coming, they should have planned, they should have had supports in place and they should have brought the sector along with them".

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan told Newstalk on Tuesday that the possibility of pausing indoor dining was floated "in the last week or two".

He said: "In truth really it was only last night that the modelling data from NPHET was presented.

"They themselves I suppose only brought it in in recent days.

"There was a change in the last 10 days - the numbers of the Delta variants in Ireland went from roughly estimated about 20% up to about 50%".