Coronavirus: Stormont bungled release of its list of essential businesses

Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill very publicly disagreed about which firms should be shut, leading to a bizarre press conference three weeks ago where the first minister and deputy first minister stood beside each other issuing contradictory advice.

Mrs Foster made clear that any business which could operate safely should continue to do so, while Ms O’Neill stated firmly that “all non-essential businesses must shut”.

However, doubts then emerged over whether the Treasury would pay 80% of the wages of staff in sectors which were continuing to operate in other parts of the UK if Stormont ordered them to shut.

In an apparent attempt to defuse the row, the Executive agreed to set up an advisory committee involving business groups and trade unions, giving it the task of drawing up a list of essential businesses.

That group’s proposals were suddenly published late on Friday night – a classic slot in which to ‘bury bad news’.

However, it has now emerged that in the Department for the Economy’s haste to publish the list just before 9pm on Friday, it made an error.

A source engaged in the process told the News Letter that the list which had been made public was “the wrong document” and contained several mistakes.

The department also failed to publish an accompanying document which the advisory group had drawn up.

That document, a ‘narrative’ which explained the process and also set out how other businesses which believed they had wrongly been excluded from the list could ask to be included, was not made public by Diane Dodds’ department.

Another source, from industry, said that the list which had been published had involved a classic political fudge: “Michelle will be very comfortable with the list. But Arlene will be very happy with the fact that it is only advisory, so has no legal force.”

A third source said that what was published was “very, very close” to the actual document, but it was “not what was agreed” and contained “a few omissions”.

Three weeks ago Ms O’Neill had said she would use “every legal power” to shut non-essential businesses.

However, that position appears to have implicitly receded with the publication of the list as advice and with no legal weight which would allow Stormont to shut workplaces which ignore it.

The News Letter asked DfE whether it would make clear what omissions had been made from the document.

The department said: “While the Priority List is intended to be a fluid document to reflect the changing nature of this crisis, there were some omissions from it due to a clerical error. These omissions are now being rectified.”

The department confirmed tonight that the correct list has tonight been published and is available at this link: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/sites/default/files/Priority-Sectors-List-V2.pdf

Breweries, explosives and oven shops in essential category

The list of essential businesses includes everything from oven shops to car mechanics and breweries – although because it is only advice, any business is free to ignore the advice and open anyway.

The list also includes the wholesale trade in live animals, agricultural retailers, officer suppliers, refrigeration sales and repairs, newspapers, scientific research and development, private health services and explosives suppliers, along with scores of other categories.

The list was drawn up by the engagement forum established by Economy Minister Diane Dodds to advise on which businesses should be classed as essential and how workplaces could be made safer.

The forum is chaired by the Labour Relations Agency and includes representatives from business organisations, trade unions, councils, Stormont, the Health and Safety Executive, Public Health Agency and Food Standards Agency.

In a late-night statement on Friday, Mrs Dodds said that she had presented the list of “priority businesses” to the Executive that day and it had agreed to publish it along with a document giving guidance on safe working practices during the pandemic.

Mrs Dodds said that those on the group had been “united in their determination to work together towards a common goal”.

She added: “The list is published for advisory purposes to allow companies to make their own decisions. If a company can work within the social distancing guidelines then it should do so.”

She said that the list was “fully supported by both business and union representatives on the forum”.

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