I have it all under control here now.
The EU isnât a separate thing to EU countries and canât manage the pandemic for them. In the beginning countries panicked and shut borders and decreed that PPE couldnât be exported and all sort of things focused on narrow national interests. So the response ithin the EU was a bit of a disaster. Very soon after cooperation was restored thanks to the EU infrastructure.
Then there was a cooperative EU Regulation banning exports of PPE 
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The Brits pandemic planning included ordering PPE from the French. Until the French decided to keep it for themselves. Great solidarity shown with the Italians as well.
To outside the EU?
Yep
Yerra they sorted out the accession candidate countries and a few others as well.
The point stands that the European response was initially a shit show of 27 different sets of responses until EU coordination restored some organisation and calm.
Thereâs plenty wrong with the EU and it has shafted Ireland in the past but it has performed well in the last few months.
Ireland would do well to be looking more to what Europe is doing than to the UK and US on a lot of things, maybe then our response to the pandemic wouldnât be chronic.
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We are more Boston than Berlin
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Mairead McGuinness named as Irelandâs European commissioner, given âimportant financial portfolioâ (via @IrishTimes) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/mairead-mcguinness-named-as-ireland-s-european-commissioner-given-important-financial-portfolio-1.4349511
Ireland is viewed in Brussels to have fared well in the reshuffle, following speculation that Dr von der Leyen could opt to allocate the new commissioner a less high-profile portfolio as a reprimand to Dublin for putting unwelcome political pressure on her to sack Mr Hogan.
Shafted!
Commissioner for playgrounds and woodlands.
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The Irish put the president in an awful position with their whinging about Big Phil, this is payback. A mickey mouse portfolio in the back office
Financial services is a significant brief that involves working on the creation of a single market for capital in the EU, and leading reforms of the financial and banking industry aimed to strengthen stability and avoid repeats of past economic crises.
The brief has an overlap with the EUâs landmark plan to borrow âŹ750 billion on international markets to finance economic recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. It will also be significant in the context of the challenges posed to the City of London by Brexit, and the relocation of some financial services to EU hubs including Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Dublin.
Youâre a bit dim.
Swings and Slides commissioner is what Paddy got for his troubles. Lost the VP of the European Parliament and the Trade Commission post in one fell swoop because Matt Coopers latte wasnât warmed up enough.
"Ms Guinnessâs financial services portfolio has been carved out of Dombrovskisâ current remit as the commissionâs âexecutive vice-president for an economy that works for peopleâ
Yes - itâs worked out really well. 
Charlie Flanagan is the new Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs & Defence
Safe hands.
Foreign affairs eh! Charlie will be an expert on all thing tan related after that
One of our greatest ever Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Accompanied by a picture of Simon Coveney. Poor ol Micheal.