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Stormont\u2019s health minister has said he is likely to ask for further coronavirus restrictions for Northern Ireland before the scheduled reopening of the hospitality sector.<\/p>\nStormont\u2019s health minister has said he is likely to ask for further coronavirus restrictions for Northern Ireland before the scheduled reopening of the hospitality sector.<\/p>\n
Robin Swann\u2019s remarks raise the prospect of more executive discord in the near future, following a week when the coalition administration was consumed with in-fighting over its pandemic response.<\/p>\n
After four days of bitter exchanges, a majority of ministers finally backed a proposal that saw the region\u2019s four-week circuit-break lockdown extended by one week followed by a phased reopening of hospitality businesses.<\/p>\n
Mr Swann voted for the proposals but only reluctantly. He had wanted a comprehensive two-week extension of the lockdown and said he only voted for the compromise deal as ministers had \u201crun out of time\u201d and a failure to strike a deal would have resulted in all the restrictions on hospitality lapsing by default on Friday night.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI\u2019m disappointed, I\u2019m embarrassed and ashamed that it took us to Thursday to actually come up with this compromise agreement, that doesn\u2019t go in my opinion far enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
The minister has made clear he will be asking for changes to the current plans before they are fully rolled out.<\/p>\n
Cafes and coffee shops, along with close contact services such as hairdressers, are due to reopen on Friday November 20th, with the rest of the hospitality sector to open on November 27th.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween now and the 27th, I would say I\u2019m near enough confident I will be coming again to the executive with a number of recommendations in regards to what will happen post the 27th,\u201d he told the BBC\u2019s Sunday Politics programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I am saying, I don\u2019t think that it would be possible for hospitality to open up on the 27th the way we knew yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be additional recommendations, there will be additional things put in place and that will be worked out between now and the 27th.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Sinn F\u00e9in voted against the proposals tabled by DUP economy minister Diane Dodds.<\/p>\n
The measures were supported by Ulster Unionist Mr Swann and Alliance justice minister Naomi Long. SDLP infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon abstained.<\/p>\n
The DUP\u2019s desire to reopen sections of the economy drew it into a bitter confrontation with the other four executive parties, all of which supported Mr Swann\u2019s proposal to extend the circuit-break by two weeks.<\/p>\n
The DUP\u2019s deployment of a contentious mechanism \u2013 the cross-community vote \u2013 to veto Mr Swann\u2019s proposals for a two-week extension, and then a one-week stand-alone extension, has been the source of much of the political fallout.<\/p>\n
Mrs Long has said the DUP\u2019s move made her consider her position in the executive.<\/p>\n
Mr Swann was asked whether he would also consider his position if it happened again.<\/p>\n
He did not give a direct answer but suggested the entire executive would become \u201cuntenable\u201d if it was not defending the interests of the health service.<\/p>\n
The minister said the circuit-break had yet to lift sufficient pressure off the health system.<\/p>\n