Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald accuses DUP of exploiting Covid-19 as ‘orange versus green’ issue

Mary Lou McDonald condemned the unionist party’s actions this week as “shameful and depressing”.

Northern Ireland political parties had been at loggerheads over how to exit the current circuit-breaker restrictions.

A deal was reached on Thursday, just 24 hours before the measures were due to expire, to extend them by one week.

The decision has raised concern in the Republic, where the infection rate is four times lower than Northern Ireland.

Ms McDonald said the number of Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland is still high and “extremely worrying”.

“People living in Belfast and Derry are no different to people in Limerick, Cork and Dublin in that people want to get back to work, people are anxious about Christmas,” she told RTE’s Today With Claire Byrne show.

“We know that in terms of the six counties, the idea that you would be lifting restrictions at a time when we are just not on top of things is wrong and dangerous.

“The (Northern Ireland) CMO (Michael McBride) was very blunt in the advice that he gave to the Executive in that any easing of restrictions would result in excess deaths.”

The DUP used a cross-community mechanism to twice veto proposals put forward by Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann.

“I think the DUP’s of a cross-community vote and a veto was shameful, was disgraceful, was depressing,” Ms McDonald added.

“The idea that the DUP can turn public health and the need to keep all of us safe and to do the right thing for everyone in very difficult circumstances, that they can turn that into an orange versus green, them versus us issue, is really very shocking.

“I think it gives a glimpse into how profoundly challenging it is to deal with that system.

“We can’t have a reservoir of this disease anywhere on this island; if it’s on the island it imperils all of us.

“It’s a small land mass, the border is the poorest, people are moving back over for work and family reasons.

“I am concerned at the turn of the events in the north.”