Coronavirus: Micheál Martin says NI's figures 'worryingly high'
- Published
Micheál Martin said he was "glad" the restrictions in Northern Ireland have been for another week
Northern Ireland's coronavirus figures are "worryingly high", the Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin has said.
He added he was "glad" the Northern Ireland Executive had agreed to extend its Covid-19 restrictions for another week given the numbers.
The Republic is halfway into a six-week lockdown with its highest level of restrictions in force.
The taoiseach said Ireland was "doing well" in contrast with other countries in terms of the infection rate.
He made his comments to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, having been asked if there was now "little or no chance of an all-Ireland approach to Covid".
'Different set of perspectives'
The question followed a damaging internal row in the Stormont Executive this week about proposals to extend restrictions in Northern Ireland.
Mr Martin replied that he remains in contact with members of the executive.
Micheál Martin joined NI First Minister Arlene Foster in a Remembrance Sunday in Enniskillen last week
He also said the health ministers and chief medical officers on both sides of the border regularly liaise with each other.
"The one time when we got Donegal and Strabane and Derry all on the one wavelength - because of informal workings with the system in the north and the Republic - that was good," Mr Martin said.
But he added: "From the get-go we've had this different set of perspectives."
Since 21 October, the Irish public have been asked to stay at home under most circumstances and travel only for essential purposes.
In Northern Ireland, non-essential shops remain open but since 16 October large parts of the hospitality industry and close-contact services like hairdressers have been shut.
A proposal to extend the hospitality closure for another week took several days to agree and caused a row in the executive.
Stormont veto
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocked a previous proposal for a longer, two-week extension by using a cross-community voting mechanism which vetoed the plan.
Mr Martin was asked if that represented an "abuse" of the Stormont procedure.
"It does," he replied, "In my view, I think it's wrong.
"You cannot be using the cross-community veto in the context of a public health initiative - that is not what it was ever designed for."
Mr Martin said the differing views within Stormont's five-party coalition government made the situation "challenging" but he was pleased they had reached a compromise.
"I'm glad they are extending, or continuing at least a number of the restrictions because their numbers are high - their numbers are worryingly high and the spillover effect is there," he added.
"It must be very challenging for the hospitals in Northern Ireland and for the intensive care practitioners as well because the pressures, we know, are fairly significant there."
'We are in a very good space as a country'
Regarding Covid-19 infections in his own jurisdiction, Mr Martin said the Republic of Ireland was "doing well" in comparison with other European countries.
"We are in a very good space as a country, we want to stay there," he said.
But he added the country was only half way through its lockdown and he warned against any weakening of resolve.
"It is very, very important that we get the numbers down very low.
"We're the second-lowest now in Europe, we're performing very well thanks to the people and their adherence to the guidelines and the regulations - we need to keep at it."
Last month, there were traffic delays several miles north of the border as Garda officers began to enforce travel restrictions
His government has not yet issued advice to Irish people living abroad about travelling home for Christmas.
"All of Europe is red at the moment - we don't really want lots of people travelling from red zones into Ireland at the moment," Mr Martin said.
He added that travel advice was likely to be issued at the end of the current lockdown.
Donegal figures concern
Looking ahead to how the Republic will emerge from its level five restrictions, Mr Martin said he hoped the country would be in a position to take a nationwide approach to exiting lockdown.
"We are concerned in terms of the figures in Donegal and we'll be making extra efforts there to see if we can, in terms of communication and so on, get the numbers down.
"We'd like preferably to come out at a national level."
When asked about the timing of a vaccine, Mr Martin said it was his "guesstimate" that it may be delivered towards the middle of next year, possibly earlier for those in vulnerable groups.
On Friday, another seven Covid-19-related deaths were reported in the Republic of Ireland, along with 482 new cases of the virus.
In Northern Ireland, 11 more deaths linked to Covid-19 were reported on Friday and another 607 cases of the virus were confirmed.
- Published10 November 2020
- Published4 November 2020
