The current books about the COVID-19 lockdowns in Ireland “don’t amount to a historical record”, according to The Hard Shoulder Host Kieran Cuddihy. 

There have been increased calls for a public inquiry into how the State handled the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible. 

Speaking on The Hard Shoulder today, Kieran said this inquiry is necessary to get a full account of how the State handled lockdown. 

“The only retrospectives we have are books by a couple of journalists and Tony Holohan’s new memoir out now, which doesn't amount to much of a historical record,” he said. 

Former Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan told The Pat Kenny Show earlier today he has “no difficulty” with addressing questions on the timing and specifics of lockdown rules. 

Kieran said Dr Holohan’s comments on Newstalk today show the need for an inquiry. 

“One of the things that he said, and it was in the context of his wife Emer’s illness, was that doctors and health systems are not infallible, and that they do make mistakes and that we all have to remember that,” he said. 

“He then failed to acknowledge a single mistake he or NPHET made in the entire two and a half years of COVID.” 

'The idea they got nothing wrong is a fantasy land'

Kieran said he has always thought Dr Holohan and his colleagues “got more right than wrong” during lockdown. 

“But the idea they got nothing wrong is kind of a fantasy land,” he said. 

“That's why we need a call to inquiry so that we can work out what did work and what didn't work, so we’re equipped if, God forbid, we have to do all of this again. 

The inquiry also “can’t just look at hospitals”, according to Kieran, to understand the full scope of the effects of lockdown. 

“People will say, ‘What about nursing homes?’, and you look at nursing homes, but then what about schools? You look at schools, then what about business? You look at business. What about creative arts?” he said. 

“The list goes on.”