Covid19 Outbreak Statement

​As President of County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce it’s with alarm that I received the news of an outbreak of Covid19 at Walsh’s mushroom farm in the village of Golden, Co. Tipperary.

Our thoughts are with the owners and employees of Walsh’s Mushroom Farm in Golden who have suspended business in light of the recent outbreak on their premises.

Public safety is our number one concern and I have the utmost confidence in the tracking system that the Government formulated. Such an outbreak is a huge concern for all businesses in the county and we want to ensure the safety of ALL employers and employees in Tipperary.

As Tipperary is one of the largest counties in Ireland I would urge the Government to take a more nuanced and targeted approach to this situation. 

It is entirely possible to contain this virus and to simultaneously allow certain towns and villages within the  to stay open for business.

The strict Covid19 controls that Walsh’s Mushrooms had in place since March and the quickness which they responded to a positive case is proof that measures local businesses had taken are effective.

It is with this in mind that I would urge NPHET and the Government to refine their lockdown strategy and not to exclude an entire county from working but to target the Covid cluster within the affected community.

Business restrictions will put a stranglehold on our local economy which is only slowly emerging from the devastating effects of the national lockdown.

Paula Carney-Hoffler
President County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce