No dates or data in new Stormont ‘pathway’ to ease lockdown rules

The long awaited new document was quickly criticised after it was belatedly published on Tuesday — more than a week after the plan to end lockdown in England was published and a day later than the Executive’s own target of Monday.

Simon Hamilton the chief executive of Belfast Chamber of Commerce and a former Executive Minister during his time in politics, said the new document will “extinguish” hope for many business owners.

The Londonderry Chamber of Commerce was also highly critical. Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin said: “The document does little to give businesses cause for optimism or certainty for the coming weeks and months ahead.

“We understand that the Executive consistently said it would be guided by the data, not dates, but businesses still need to be given a firm indication of when they can expect to reopen and start trading again. Today’s document is very disappointing in that respect.”

She said businesses need “specific guidance on what vaccine or Covid case targets Northern Ireland needs to meet to reopen”.

Groups such as the Confederation of British Industry, Retail NI, and the Federation of Small Businesses also expressed disappointment yesterday evening, following the publication of the roadmap.

It was also criticised in the Assembly by MLAs whose parties sit outside the Executive.Green MLA Rachel Woods described it as a “copy and paste” from the recovery plan published after the last lockdown, which she said was “not worth the paper it was written on”.

TUV MLA Jim Allister slammed the document as a “cliche ridden algorithm for dither.”

The document itself outlines nine key areas where restrictions will be eased.

For each of the nine areas, five steps for easing restrictions are set out — beginning with lockdown, moving to ‘Cautious First Steps’, followed by ‘Gradual Easing’, then ‘Further Easing’ and ending with ‘‘Preparing for the Future’.

The nine areas are ‘Home and Community’, ‘Education and Young People’, ‘Culture, Heritage and Entertainment’, ‘Sports and Leisure Activities’, ‘Worship and Ceremonies’, ‘Travel and Tourism’, ‘Work’, ‘Retail and Services’, and ‘Hospitality’..

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill insisted the exit strategy offers a “careful, cautious and hopeful” plan to end lockdown.

“We must do everything we can to try to make this one the last lockdown, with the underpinning insurance policy that this Executive will take the steps needed to protect the health service,” she said. “Taking all these factors together, we can take some tentative preparatory steps towards the lifting of restrictions. But great care is still needed.”

However First Minister Arlene Foster defended one of her MPs who described the plan as “clear as mud” - adding that if the DUP had been in charge the plan would have been “completely different”.

Asked why one of her MPs, - Carla Lockhart - had described the plan as being “as clear as mud”, she replied: “Because, as I said, she is a DUP MP, she is entitled to that opinion. I have to try and find consensus in the Executive. Of course if it was a single party DUP Executive it would be a completely different plan and I think that is very clear for everybody.”

Asked if the plan had been passed as a unanimous decision by ministers, she told UTV that she would have preferred faster movement on some issues, in particular the reopening of schools.

“Yes it was a unanimous decision. I think it is important that we do have consensus at this time,” she said. “Obviously some of us take different views in relation to the speed as to how we should go about things.

“I would have preferred that the schools would have opened completely on the 8th of March however the consensus of other Executive ministers was not there.”

Asked to clarify if the plan had been unanimously approved by ministers she replied: “Well there was no vote, it was by consensus that we came to the decision in relation to the document.”

The Press Association reported her asking the public “to work with us so that we can make this the last lock down”.

She added: “That is what I am focused on because we certainly cannot go back into a lock down again.”

She added that ministers would review education on March 16.

She added: “I hope, given all of the data that is there, that that will mean that everyone can return after Easter.”

l Morning View, page 16

Simon Hamilton, page 18