A medical fitness-to-practise inquiry has heard evidence that tweets allegedly posted by a Cavan-based GP during the pandemic that were critical of Covid-19 public health policy amounted to professional misconduct. Michael McConville, who, before retiring in 2024, was a practitioner in Cavan town, is alleged to have posted tweets relating to the use of PCR testing, Covid-19 vaccinations and the vaccine scheme, the use of face masks and tweets that promoted the use of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19.The committee of the fitness-to-practise inquiry convened for a second day on Wednesday to hear evidence from Dr Nick Flynn, a Cork-based GP of 25 years’ experience who was also the expert witness for the chief executive of the Medical Council, Dr Maria O’Kane. Flynn agreed with Neasa Bird, barrister for the chief executive, that he found the tweets posted by McConville to be “disgraceful or dishonourable” in a professional respect. The tweets stated the motivations of doctors, medical practitioners and scientists were “other than to protect people from harm”. He further agreed with Bird that he found the tweet posted by McConville on January 9th, 2022, which asked, “how can any sane doctor advocate a failed ‘vaccine’ for children …”, also amounted to “disgraceful or dishonourable conduct”. He said that tweet damaged the reputation of general practice and was “not behaviour acceptable in the medical community”. The tweet also said “… the “vaccines” for them [children] … have zero safety data …”, which Flynn said was “very unhelpful” and that such language was “designed to cause hysteria”.Flynn found in his report for the chief executive that the remaining tweets posted by McConville amounted to conduct in which he had seriously fallen short of the standards expected among doctors. One such tweet was allegedly posted on January 29th, 2022, where it is alleged McConville stated, “when I (reluctantly) gave the first Jab Pfizer knew that their inoculation had already killed nearly 1200 people … Had I known it, I would never have given it.” Alan Gallagher, head of communications and strategic engagement at the Medical Council also gave evidence regarding an email he sent to the executive of the Medical Council in January 2021. In the email, Gallagher brought to the executive’s attention a selection of tweets allegedly posted by McConville from January 15th, 2021, to December 28th, 2021. Gallagher explained that, in his day-to-day work, if he came across any media clippings or social media posts regarding, for example, a charge before a court, or if there was an issue regarding accessing the phone lines of the Medical Council, he would send that on to the relevant department. Bird also brought the committee through a chronology of events and statutory instruments relating to the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland and the nature of the National Public Health Emergency Team, the group of experts tasked with providing guidance to the government. Bird also outlined advice from the then chief medical officer, Tony Holohan, to the government regarding the pandemic, which was passed on to the public by means of government briefings. At the previous day’s hearing, on Tuesday, McConville made a lengthy submission at the outset of the inquiry regarding the allegations against him, after which he left the inquiry to applause from supporters in attendance.The committee will reconvene at a future date to hear further evidence and closing submissions from the chief executive and legal advice.