Republic's Health Minister to meet Stormont counterpart this week - "if possible"

By Q Radio news

The Republic's Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says he intends to meet with his opposite number at Stormont Robin Swann this week - "if possible".

Yesterday the First and Deputy First Ministers announced they were going to contact the Taoiseach following failed attempts to secure a meeting between the two health ministers.

Mr. Swann revealed he was unable to arrange a meeting with his Irish counterpart to discuss Covid-19 and the rising number of Indian variant cases south of the border.

The Republic's Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says he intends to meet with his opposite number at Stormont Robin Swann this week - "if possible".https://t.co/DnnhH0XfsQ

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Mrs. Foster says she's disappointed with Mr. Donnelly's approach...

Mr Swann said health officials remain concerned about infection rates in the Republic of Ireland and the slower level of vaccination, but said he hoped the country will catch up.

Mrs Foster said the lack of communication from the Irish government is a concern, particularly over the rising number of cases connected to Indian variant.

“We would like to know where that is taking place. We know in England, for example, where the hotspots are in relation to the Indian variant,” Mrs Foster added.

“We don’t know what the situation is in the Republic of Ireland. We need to have a discussion about that.

“We also need to have a discussion around cross-border travel because over these past few weeks our highest incidence is in Londonderry and Strabane, therefore we need to try and understand that.

“The only way to do that is have a meeting. We were disappointed when Stephen Donnelly came back and said that he wasn’t going to meet but his officials were going to meet. Really this requires ministerial leadership and I do hope that he reconsiders on that.”

Deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill said it is “unfortunate” Mr Donnelly has not made time to meet with his Northern Ireland counterpart.

“I think there’s a fair assessment that throughout the course of the pandemic the joined up-ness across the island hasn’t been where it should have been,” the Sinn Fein deputy leader added.

“I think it’s unfortunate that Stephen Donnelly hasn’t made time to meet with Robin Swann. I encourage that meeting to happen.

“We have engaged at different times with the Taoiseach, with the Tanaiste and others and we will continue to do that, but I do think that we need to have health-minister-to-health-minister conversation around what is the current state of play, what can we do together?

“There are issues in border counties, so can we do more together around collective messaging?

“Ministers need to make time to make the meetings happen.”

Ms O’Neill added that the matter will be raised with Micheal Martin.

“We will do whatever needs to be done in the coming days to make sure these meetings do happen,” she added.

In a statement on Monday evening the Irish Department of Health said Mr Donnelly had responded to his Northern Ireland counterpart’s recent letter and he intends to have a meeting with Mr Swann this week if possible.

“Minister Donnelly has ongoing engagement with Minister Swann, and responded to his most recent letter saying that there should be continued further engagement at official level ahead of a ministerial meeting,” the statement read.

“Officials met again as recently as Friday last to discuss in particular the variant first discovered in India.

“Minister Donnelly intends to have a meeting with Minister Swann this week if possible.”

Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane described the situation as “alarming”.

He has asked for clarity on the direct engagement between the two ministers.

“This morning we heard yet again from minister Robin Swann that the minister for health, Stephen Donnelly, has not been engaging directly with him regarding Covid-19,” he said.

“Frankly, it is alarming. This comes at a time when there are variants of concern circulating across the island despite the vaccine rollout progressing well.

“Substantial differences remain in the two rollouts, with convergence not likely for a number of months yet.

“Both jurisdictions need to be aligned in terms of messaging and in terms of restrictions insofar as they can, but that cannot happen without direct ministerial engagement and co-operation.”

(Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly)