Coronavirus: Sinn Fein claims ‘we’re coping’ as it rejects Army help

On Saturday the News Letter revealed that Health Minister Robin Swann has submitted two requests for military assistance to the civilian authority – one for logistical support to distribute life-saving equipment, and another to prepare for a massive field hospital at the site of the former Maze Prison.

Just a week earlier, while standing beside Sinn Fein Finance Minister Conor Murphy, Mr Swann had publicly said that he would be submitting a request for military assistance and Mr Murphy had subsequently told the BBC that he would not dismiss Army help, saying “we are not about politics in this game”, and adding that he would consider “any assistance we can get from anywhere”.

Nevertheless, Ms O’Neill – who just over a week ago publicly attacked Mr Swann for being “too slow” in dealing with the pandemic – emerged on Saturday to criticise Mr Swann for essentially now being too fast in moving to call in the Army.

She called for meetings with the British and Irish governments, claiming that Mr Swann had acted “unilaterally and without consultation with Executive colleagues”.

However, the statement implied that Sinn Fein’s objection was on procedural grounds rather than because in principle it opposed any Army role.

Ms O’Neill said that “we will not rule out any measure necessary to save lives” but added that Mr Swann “has a responsibility to exhaust all options, including the use of other blue light public services and civilian contractors, to ensure that ventilators and life saving equipment are moved swiftly to where they are needed most”.

In an interview with RTE on Saturday, Ms O’Neill said “we have to do everything necessary to save lives”, but then went on to say: “I don’t believe that British Army assistance is necessary at this point. I believe that all of our modelling indicates that we are coping, albeit in the most challenging of circumstances.”

Three weeks ago in the Assembly Mr Swann said that his focus was on saving as many lives as possible and he would accept help from wherever it could be found.

He told MLAs: “I’ll use whatever tool I have at my disposal to tackle this virus. If the Irish Army want to come up and help us too when they’ve it sorted down there, I’d be more than happy to welcome them.”

DUP Agriculture and Environment Minister Edwin Poots said that Sinn Fein was not actually trying to stop the Army being involved, but accused it of a “silly PR stunt”.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Mr Poots said: “Michelle O’Neill would be better seeking a meeting with the republicans in her own constituency who entirely ignore social distancing than engaging in silly PR stunts about something she in reality has no intention of trying to stop.

“Robin has my support in doing whatever needs done, however it is done, by whomever it is done.”

With the exception of Sinn Fein, every other Executive party publicly endorsed Mr Swann’s attempt to secure support from the military in the battle against the pandemic.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said on Saturday: “Fifteen people died of coronavirus overnight in the North. I’ll support anything that gets PPE and ventilators to where it needs to go. Let’s stop playing politics and do whatever it takes to save lives.”

Responding to Mr Eastwood’s comments on Twitter, Alliance leader Naomi Long said: “Could not agree more. Robin Swann has my and the Alliance Party’s full support for taking extraordinary measures to try to save people’s lives. All and any help is welcome at this critical time.”

First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster said: “Northern Ireland has been working together on tackling this awful disease. We need to keep at it.

“When your loved one is lying in hospital, who built the ward will be the last thought on their mind. Let’s build the capacity we need. We fully support the Army being used to build necessary beds.”

Ulster Unionist MLA and Royal Irish Regiment reservist Doug Beattie said that Sinn Fein’s rejection of help from the Army was “becoming absolutely tiresome”. He highlighted that the military had in recent weeks already been used by Stormont to create a temporary morgue, without objection from republicans.

He added: “I guess few will complain if personal protection equipment or ventilators are supplied via a military driver or a civilian driver or if the doctor and nurse treating them is military or not.”

As in most countries battling the pandemic, the Army has been increasingly involved in the effort to assist health staff as they have become stretched.

At the weekend the Ministry of Defence said that nearly 200 members of the armed forces are being loaned to NHS ambulance services to support their work.

Personnel from all three strands of the armed forces will be sent to work at five ambulance trusts.

Although their responsibilities will vary depending on the area, the new duties will include driving ambulances and taking calls from the public.

Eighty service personnel will be sent to the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust where they will drive emergency response vehicles, larger ambulances and work at the response centre which covers five counties around London.

In London, 21 medical personnel from the armed forces will form 10 critical care transfer teams to transport patients who need to be moved between intensive care units.

Engineers from the Army are also supporting the London Ambulance Service to maintain suction units used in ambulances.

In Wales, 60 soldiers finished their two-day ambulance training at the Sennybridge Training Camp near Brecon on April 7, ready to be deployed across Wales to assist paramedics with non-clinical tasks.

Thirty-seven military personnel have been deployed to the East of England Ambulance Service, which covers six counties including Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, to assist with tasks including driving and logistics.

The group all volunteer as emergency responders in their free time and have previously trained with the service.

Members of the RAF are already assisting the Scottish Ambulance Service with a trial of a medical isolation and transport system, using RAF Puma helicopters to take critically ill people to hospital.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our armed forces always step forward at the appearance of threats to the country and its people.

“Across the United Kingdom, soldiers, sailors, airmen and women have got the backs of our NHS colleagues as they confront coronavirus.”

Members of the armed forces have helped with the response to the outbreak in a variety of other ways.

Military personnel were involved in the planning and building of the first NHS Nightingale hospital at the ExCel exhibition centre in east London, as well as its equivalents across the country.

Armed forces personnel made up of 39 drivers and 63 driver’s mates have also been trained to fill and transport oxygen tankers to NHS facilities.

The Ministry of Defence said there are hundreds of personnel delivering supplies of PPE for the NHS based at distribution centres across the country, amid reported shortages of the vital equipment.

Speaking on Friday night, Mr Swann told this newspaper that he hoped the military request would not be divisive, repeating his view that the only thing that will divide people in this pandemic is whether they live or die.