Alliance health spokeswoman Paula Bradshaw reveals family holiday to Italy is now OFF - says she ‘looks forward to travelling there again when it is safe to do so’

The South Belfast MLA had told BBC’s Nolan Show that she would not be “breaking any laws” by travelling.

Since then she has tweeted that she “should have been clearer” and will not travel abroad while current guidelines remain in place.

NI Direct says that “you should not travel abroad unless it’s essential”.

READ - Stormont’s Health Committee member Paula Bradshaw defends foreign holiday - ‘I am not breaking any laws’

Earlier Mrs Bradshaw said: “Like many people, I have a holiday booked - in my case to Italy. I should be clear when I said I would operate within the guidance, that obviously includes not travelling if the regulations and guidance at the time state I should not do so. That is currently the case.

“It is important everyone, particularly in representative roles, adheres both to the spirit and letter of that guidance.”

Her tweets this morning said: “I should have been clearer this morning that by “operating within the guidance” I meant not travelling abroad unless it is essential, until the guidance changes.

“It is correct that I had initially booked to travel this Saturday, but my journey is not “essential”, so that is not possible within the current guidance.

“I love Italy, and look forward to travelling there again when it is safe to do so!”

The episode unfolded as First Minister Arlene Foster said she would not tell people whether they should go ahead with holidays or not, insisting it was a matter for their own judgment.

The Executive’s coronavirus guidance is not to travel abroad unless it is essential.

Mrs Bradshaw, who is also Assembly private secretary to her party leader, Stormont justice minister Naomi Long, told BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show: “I just felt we’ve spent so much time in lockdown, we’re going to an all-inclusive resort, we will be respectful when we get there and we’ll just spend some peaceful time as a family.”

On a visit to Ballymena on Monday, Mrs Foster said it was not for her to tell people whether they should proceed with foreign holidays.

She noted there were around 60 countries on Northern Ireland’s green list and people travelling to and from those destinations would not have to self-isolate when they land in the region.

“It’s not up to me to tell people should they go or should they not go,” Mrs Foster said when asked about the issue on the visit to view a redevelopment at the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort.

“If they have booked a holiday and they (the destination) are on the green or amber list then they can go without having to quarantine when they come back.

“Whether they go or not is entirely a matter for their own judgment.”

Mrs Foster said Stormont officials were looking to “tidy up” the coronavirus regulations to keep them in line with recent decisions taken by the Executive.

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