There’s a lot of views here and other places that there’s a government communications problem with Covid. It’s not just a communications problem: more importanly I think it’s a management problem.

We apparently know how to deal with this virus better than we did in March/April. Yet the Government’s plan appears to many people to now be less coherent or structured.

The biggest thing that damaged confidence in this government’s ability to tackle the virus was the Green list. It was messy, it was poorly put together and yes it was woefully communicated.

There’s talk now of moving from phases to a colour code system. And talk today of rolling out a plan to deal with the future in a month’s time. This government seems to be governing by thinking out loud.

I know lots of people teasing lots of other people for “I miss Simon Harris” tweets. I mean he’s still in cabinet, but what is missing is decisive leadership, clear comms and a pursuasive reassurance that there’s a plan, and a way forward.

There is a major question lingering behind all this: who’s in charge right now? Who’s making the decisions? Who’s putting those decisions into plans. Who’s leading? NPHET advises. Governments govern.

The next step/phase/colour-coded plan is simple: whoever the real Taoiseach is needs to step forward and make an impact. It’s loudly absent.