Coronavirus: Allister demands apology as Sinn Fein resistance to opening graveyards crumbles

It was last night welcomed by the Presbyterian church and the UUP, but the TUV said the ban had been “ridiculous” in the first place – and that maintaining it had wrought more grief on already-upset families.

During the press conference last night where the change in policy was announced, First Minister Arlene Foster stressed that key restrictions (such as capping the number of funeral mourners to 10 and keeping a two-metre distance from others) remain in place.

She said social distancing will be with us for “quite some time” – but her deputy Michelle O’Neill went further. In a comment which slipped by without provoking any reaction, she said “social distancing is going to be a feature of our lives; it’s going to be a feature of our lives for perhaps up to a couple of years if not beyond”.

As the two leaders spoke yesterday, the Department of Health confirmed “a further 15 people have sadly lost their lives to Covid-19”. It takes the Northern Ireland total to 278.

The total fatalities for the UK now stands at 19,506 (covering only those who died in hospital). Globally the figure last night was 194,456 (according to Johns Hopkins medical university, USA).

There has been tension recently within the Executive, with Sinn Fein generally favouring a hardline approach to easing restrictions, and the DUP more inclined to allow some limited leeway – with the cemeteries a stark example of the division.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr William Henry, last night described the reopening of cemeteries as “a sensible and compassionate response to an important pastoral and human need”.

UUP leader Steve Aiken called it “a humanitarian act”.

Jim Allister, TUV leader, declared: “The dysfunction of the Executive delayed this for at least a week, causing needless hurt to many grieving families. Those behind the delay owe such families not just an explanation but an apology.”

The public desire for reopening graveyards was gruesomely illustrated during the week when DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson announced a pensioner had impaled himself on railings while trying to climb over them to visit his wife’s grave.

Arlene Foster said: “We’ve agreed to support the health minister in lifting the restrictions on access to graveyards. This is about balancing public health concerns with the basic human need for people to visit their loved ones’ grave.”

But she added: “Please do remain at home as much as possible. We’re not out of the woods.”

On Tuesday Declan Kearney (Sinn Fein chairman and junior Executive minister) had told MLAs on the floor of the Assembly: “I and Executive colleagues understand how extremely difficult it is that members of our families, individual friends, and our community are being denied the solace that moments of reflection at gravesides and places of worship can provide, but that is the price that we must pay because the coronavirus pandemic is an emergency.”

At yesterday’s news conference, Michelle O’Neill was quizzed on how Sinn Fein “got this so badly wrong”.

She responded: “I always said we’d keep these things under review, and we listened very carefully to what people had to say. And you have to get that fine balance between protecting people’s lives and also then listening to people whenever they’ve expressed concern.

“So I’m glad the Executive has found a way forward... That’s us listening to people at this moment in time, that’s us understanding the angst that was there, that’s us not wanting to exasperate [sic] anyone’s mental health or families that are grieving right now.

“But our number one priority right now is about dealing with the fact we’re still in the mist [sic] of the pandemic.”

Asked about north-south co-operation on combating coronavirus, Ms O’Neill indicated that on this side of the Irish Sea “the numbers speak for themselves, insofar as our death rate here has been 50 to 60% less than what’s sadly been experienced in Britain”.

She added that “we are an island and we have to use that to our advantage”.

In the Republic, as of yesterday there had been 829 deaths.

However, Mrs Foster said that comparing death figures in the Republic with Northern Ireland “is a little bit more nuanced than perhaps some people have presented”, because of “different data systems” and different reporting times for deaths.

We need to share information [with the Republic]” she said. “But it’s also true to say we’ve greatly benefitted from being part of the UK as well.”

When it comes to why Northern Ireland’s death rate is relatively low compared with Great Britain, she said “population density has a big impact on this”.

For example, she said London has population density of nearly 5,000 people per square kilometre, against just 133 per sq km for Northern Ireland.

A number of councils got in touch last night to say when they will re-open cemeteries; some said Saturday, others Sunday. It is advised to check with your own local authority.

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