FM and DFM address North South Ministerial Council following news of six week lockdown

By PA reporter

Stormont’s deputy First Minister has said it is unacceptable that teachers and parents do not have clarity about the return of schools in January.

Michelle O’Neill said education and health officials needed to quickly conclude discussions on what measures could be introduced at the start of next term – at a time when Northern Ireland will be in six-week Covid-19 lockdown.

“We certainly do put a premium on children being educated and I think that the piece of work that has now been commenced between health and education should be done at pace because I don’t think it’s acceptable that school leaders don’t understand what the situation looks like for January, or indeed the parents don’t understand what the situation looks like in January,” she told a press conference after the North South Ministerial Council.

“So I would urge health and education to work together over the weekend and hopefully provide clarity on that at the start of the week, so that school leaders and parents can plan for what comes next.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill says she puts “a premium on children being educated” as she warned it’s “unacceptable” that parents and teachers don’t understand what that’s going to look like in January. pic.twitter.com/4TsgNB3ixA

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) December 18, 2020

First Minister Arlene Foster suggested that schools would open as scheduled in January, with the focus of officials’ discussions on additional safety measures.

“There is an acknowledgement in the executive that the best place for our young people is to be at school where they can get their education to give them the best life chances that they can get moving forward,” she said.

“That is still the position of the executive. The reason why health officials and education professionals are speaking over the next period of time is to make sure that we put in as much safety as we can for our young people to ensure that they can get the education that they need moving forward.”

First Minister Arlene Foster says there’s an acknowledgement that “the best place for our young people is school” which is still the position of the Executive pic.twitter.com/FwYlQmuBBN

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) December 18, 2020

Northern Ireland’s spiralling Covid cases are due to the “failure of society as a whole”, the First Minister has said.

Arlene Foster also singled out Sinn Fein for criticism, claiming the attendance of senior figures at IRA veteran Bobby Storey’s funeral in June, at a time when strict limits on numbers were in place, had damaged the public health messaging.

Her remarks came after Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill accused the DUP of ignoring public health advice around lockdown decisions last month. Mrs Foster said: “We do find ourselves in a particularly bad place, I very much regret that that is the case and it’s a failure of society as a whole that we have had to introduce these restrictions in the draconian way that they are coming in on Boxing night.

“Last night we did take a very draconian decision, one which I never thought we would have to take. I very much regret the fact that we have had to take it, but we needed to take it and we’re facing a great deal of difficulty across Northern Ireland.”

She said people needed to take personal responsibility for their actions in the time ahead.

“We are facing very, very difficult times across Northern Ireland,” said the DUP leader.

“Of course before the end of June last year compliance in Northern Ireland was very good and in fact we were the envy of other colleagues in the United Kingdom. But at the end of June, one party, Sinn Fein, decided whilst they made the laws they were also above the laws. And now we find ourselves in a situation where messaging is very difficult. We’ve seen a breakdown in compliance and I very, very much regret that to be the case.”