LISTEN: Michelle O’Neill: UK and Ireland need to align approach on tackling pandemic

By PA and Q Radio News

The UK and Ireland need to align their approaches to the coronavirus pandemic, Stormont’s Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said.

The Sinn Fein vice-president warned the issue of travel between the countries is crucially important in the future.

Leaders from around the British Isles have agreed to continue “close co-operation” on travel to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Nicola Sturgeon hosted a virtual meeting of the British-Irish Council on Friday morning, which includes the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers, the Welsh First Minister, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, along with other officials.

At a press conference following the summit, the first ministers were asked about travel agreements as Christmas approaches.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We agreed at this morning’s summit to continue very close cooperation across the islands and in particular to look at issues around travel within the common travel area and more generally.

“To make sure that as we hopefully in the not too distant future, emerge from a second wave of Covid, that we are all collectively taking care not to re-seed the virus.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster said the summit had agreed that the virus “was going to be with us for some considerable time”.

She said: “We have to move through this in a way where we bring everybody with us and protect the National Health Service, I think that’s imperative.”

First Minister Arlene Foster

Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Michele O’Neill said the issue of travel was “crucially important as we move forward and move out of wave two”,

“We have had different approaches on this across the island and I think that has been really unhelpful.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill

During a meeting last summer, Mr Martin said Irish cross-border work on improving the monitoring of quarantining international visitors is moving forward.

Harmonising travel regimes across the UK and Ireland will be “challenging” but the threat posed by the pandemic means politicians also have to act quickly, the Irish premier said at that time.

International arrivals in Dublin airport can cross the border into Northern Ireland despite impediments to how visitors from Covid-19 high-risk countries are monitored for self-isolation compliance once they do so.

Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann has held talks with his opposite number in the Republic, Stephen Donnelly.

Health Minister Robin Swann

On Friday Ms O’Neill said: “The virus doesn’t stop because it’s moving from one jurisdiction to another, it moves very freely across this island.”

The council of leaders last met a year ago when discussions focused on restoring devolution in Northern Ireland and Brexit.

It was set up following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.