Covid-19 Health Updates

• Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA, Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Ian Young, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, have updated the Health Committee on the Department of Health’s Covid-19 Response this afternoon.

• As of today, 7,442 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, and 563 people have passed away.

• The ‘R’ number is 1.3, remaining steady from last week’s reproductive rate.

• The Minister told the Committee that 60% of new cases are under 39, with 10% over 60+. The flip in ages from the first wave of the virus was ‘inevitable’ according to the Chief Scientific Advisor as younger generations go back to work and social settings.  

• The second Covid Surge Strategic Framework will be published at the end of September. The Minister told the Committee the draft version had been sent to key stakeholders including trade unions and the members of the Transformation Advisory Board yesterday evening for their views.

• The second Nightingale Hospital at Whiteabbey Hospital will be used as a ‘step-down’ centre meaning it is for the recovery and rehab of patients who have had Covid-19 but do not need ventilation or critical care.

• Belfast City Hospital will remain as the critical care unit if needed in a second wave.

• The StopCovidNI App has been successful according to the Health Minister, with 328,000 downloads of the app in the past month. 279 people have been identified and tested positive from the app, and a further 475 people have been notified of a potential exposure.

• CMO, Dr Michael McBride said that there will be no vaccine available until it goes through the correct frameworks including the Health Research Authority approval system and the UK-wide Joint Committee on Vaccine Immunisation.

• School restart was discussed, and the Minister told the Committee the Chief Medical and Scientific Officers meet with the Education Authority twice weekly to assess the impact of children returning to school.

• Following announcements of the reconvening of elective treatments and orthopaedic surgeries in Lagan Valley and Musgrave Park Hospital, the Minister said that targets have been set at each location to help decrease waiting lists. The Minister said that as expected waiting lists have risen, and now the Department of Health are working to tackle this. The recommencing of these services is part of stage one of the ‘Rebuilding HSC’ framework.

• Over one million units of the winter flu vaccine have been ordered, 250,000 more than last year. The Minister said his Department will be urging as many as possible to avail of the vaccine as there is concern over the mix of Covid-19 and the flu. He said the Department is working with the community pharmacy network and GPs to ensure the flu immunisation is as widely available as possible.

Irish News Column from Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster: Let traditional pubs re-open - or pay to keep us afloat

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster

We hoped that today would have been the day we saw the vast majority of the hospitality sector back on its feet again, albeit restricted by social distance guidelines. We knew some would have struggled to open, as they simply don’t have the space, and that others unfortunately were unable to make it this far.

However, late last week we got the news we hoped we would not hear - that the indicative date for the reopening of traditional non-food pubs has been delayed once again.  

I’ve been on hundreds of phone calls, zoom calls and meetings with publicans devastated that they have to hold back from turning the taps on once again.

For them, it has been a very long and hard six months. Despite their colleagues being open since the start of July, they are as perplexed as anyone as to why food with a pint seems to be ok over simply having a pint despite adhering to the same rules and guidance.

Yes, support had been offered at the start of the lockdown phase and the furlough scheme was availed of, but small grants run out quickly in this game and furlough doesn’t last forever. Bills for non-food serving bars can easily stack up to a thousand pounds a week, not to mention all the screening and additional works that many undertook some time ago in the hope that the virus lockdown would have eased by now.

There is an abandonment of hope. That is why the Executive needs to step in as soon a possible to stave off a catastrophe in our sector. The immediate support must be given to publicans and business owners to help save their staff from having to be made redundant. We are talking thousands of staff, full and part time, who need to pay their mortgages, feed and clothe their families and live fulfilling lives.

The hospitality sector is the backbone of our tourism economy and is always talked up by our Executive Ministers. We need them to step in and save our pubs. An investment now will go some way to arrest the significant impact of financial destruction, loss of employment and fears of an increased claimant count.

We’ve called for greater powers of enforcement against those who flout the rules, we’ve called for a tightening of the guidance to be strengthened by legislation and we’ve reiterated time and again that the sector is taking public health and hygiene very seriously.

There needs to be recognition that we are going the whole nine yards and not be unnecessarily penalised without an evidence base to support the reason why our traditional pubs still cannot open. The NI Executive must settle on a date and provide financial support to keep the sector afloat until that time.

Belfast commemorates 40 years of Polish Solidarity movement

Belfast City Hall illuminates in the Polish national colours, red and white, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Polish Solidarity movement.

Belfast City Hall and the MAC (Metropolitan Art Centre) have marked the 40th anniversary of the Polish Solidarity movement by lighting up their buildings.

Proposed by Alliance Councillor Michael Long, Belfast City Hall was lit in the Polish national colours of red and white. The Solidarity logo was also beamed on to the MAC to commemorate the founding of the independent trade union in 1980.

Solidarity, Solidarność in Polish, made an important contribution to the dismantling of the authoritarian communist political regime in Poland and beyond.

Led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Lech Walesa, the trade union is renowned for its non-violent, practical diplomacy and created a precedent for peaceful transition into government.

The Polish community is the largest immigrant community in Northern Ireland and are the only European Union state with a consulate in Northern Ireland which opened in 2018. This is symbolic of the deep connection between the two countries and the important contribution, the approximately 30,000 Poles living in Northern Ireland make to society on a daily basis.

 Councillor Michael Long said:

“The founding of the Solidarity independent trade union 40 years ago was a huge political event that reshaped much of Europe. The non-violent, anti-communist social movement contributed greatly to the collapse of the communist Soviet Union system, bringing both economic prosperity and social change to most of Eastern Europe.

“People across Northern Ireland will remember watching the ‘Polish August’ and the events in Gdansk in 1980 on TV screens, seeing how non-violence and social reform could change a country for the better and help progress livelihoods of all citizens. Solidarity still holds an inspirational quality that speaks to the restoration of key values that bring people together to create something new, with a focus on community. The passion of Solidarity, its leaders and people, inspired others, and its impact was truly transformational.

“The 40th anniversary will be of great significance to the Polish community in Belfast, and it is only right that Belfast City Hall marks the occasion. Moreover, the principles, ideals and emphasis on community that Solidarity embodied forty years ago are as important now as in the 1980s. In today’s current climate, Solidarity’s ethos of social change, human rights and actions to improve society should be at the forefront of how we all live and work in our communities.”

The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) projects the Solidarity logo to mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity.

Speaking in London, Marta de Zuniga, Director of the Polish Cultural Institute said:

“I am thrilled to see Belfast’s main civic and cultural buildings being used to mark and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the historic Solidarity movement in Poland. Solidarity helped overcome the artificial division of Europe into spheres of influence after the end of the Second World War, and it is especially fitting that Belfast joins in its message of people working together to remove barriers of understanding and culture, as well as trade and commerce.

“It was due to the Solidarity movement that Poland could become the first among Central and Eastern European countries to accomplish a peaceful transition from communism to democracy, where the civil society plays an influential and key role. 

“Belfast is home to over 30,000 Polish people, who have created powerful and permanent links between our different ends of Europe. I am especially pleased to see the participation of Polish people in Northern Ireland’s civil society and cultural life.   

“There are many lessons to be learnt from Solidarity and the ‘Polish August’ in Gdansk and it is only right that we honour those who had the vision and principles for modern day Poland and worked to shape it to the country we see today.”

Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 31 August 2020

Forward Look

• The new NI Assembly Standards Commissioner is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

• Former South Antrim MP Danny Kinahan has been appointed the first Veterans Commissioner. He will step down from his role as Councillor on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council before taking up this position.

• The Irish Government are expected to propose a male and female for the vacant role of EU Commissioner following Phil Hogan’s resignation. Potential candidates include Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Coveney TD, Mairead McGuinness MEP and David O’Sullivan, a former high ranking official in the Commission. 

• Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA has said she expects to take applications for the Troubles Pension in the next five to six months.

• MLA allowances have been amended by the Assembly Commission to bring the salaries of their staff into line with those who work in the Assembly. This could potentially cost £4.2 million per year.

• The StopCovidNI app is to be extended to children and young people from next month.

• International Trade Secretary Liz Truss MP has launched 11 new trade advisory groups as part of a major new business engagement drive. Representatives from NI include Rose Mary Stalker, Invest NI; Kieran Kennedy, O’Neills; Wesley Aston, UFU; and David Lavery CB, The Law Society of NI.

• A new group of employees in the North West have established the Cross Border Workers Coalition to tackle remote working tax rules facing Republic of Ireland residents who work in Northern Ireland.

• Victims Commissioner Judith Thompson will leave her post next week. She has called on the UK Government to reconsider its latest plans for dealing with troubles cases.

• Deirdre O’Shaughnessy is to take over as News Editor at the Irish Examiner.

• CCEA has launched a consultation on examinations for Summer 2021. This proposes a reduction in the number of exams that pupils will be required to take, as well as a number of adaptations to qualifications to ensure they can be delivered safely and meet current public health requirements. Further information here.

• NI Oral Questions in the House of Commons will take place on Wednesday 2 September.

• The NI Affairs Committee will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday 2 September. It will receive oral evidence on the new proposals for addressing legacy by the UK Government.

• The Education Committee will meet on Wednesday 2 September. They are expected to hear from NIC-ICTU on the school restarts.

• The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee will meet on Thursday 3 September. They will receive evidence from the NI Business Brexit Working Group.

• The Justice Committee will meet on Thursday 3 September. They will be briefed on the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill.

• Belfast City Hall and the MAC will be lit up in the colours of Poland on Monday night to mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity.

• Third sector membership body CO3 is holding its virtual Leadership Conference on 24 and 25 September. Keynote speakers include former US Ambassador to the UN and key adviser to President Barack Obama, Samantha Power. To register, please visit this link.

Other Stories this week

• Figures released by the Department of Health show that 311,000 people in NI are waiting for a first appointment with a consultant.

• Sir Ed Davey MP has been elected leader of the Lib Dems. He defeated fellow MP Layla Moran.

• Education Minister Peter Weir announced an additional £42 million to help support the safe reopening of schools.

• Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín appointed Kenneth Clayton, Alan Law, Shane McCurdy and Peter Moore as members to the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee.

• Lord Justice Stephens has been appointed to the Supreme Court. He will replace Lord Kerr who retires at the end of September.

Consultations

• Autism Private Members Bill NI Assembly. Deadline TBC. 

• Trade Union Freedom Bill NI Assembly. Deadline TBC.

• Consultation on amending Human Trafficking legislation Department of Justice. Deadline 1 September.

• Consultation on Proposed Changes to GCSE and GCE Qualifications for Summer 2021. CCEA. Deadline 7 September.

• Call for Evidence – Pension Schemes Bill Committee for Communities. Deadline 9 September.

• Consultation on Further Education Support and Charging Policy at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) DAERA. Deadline 11 September.

• Consultation on Development of an Adult Restorative Justice Strategy for Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Deadline 11 September. 

• Draft Organised Crime Strategy 2020-2023 Department of Justice. Deadline 2 October.

• Second Independent Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Process in NI Department for Communities. Deadline 16 October.

• Online Political Transparency The Cabinet Office. Deadline 4 November.

Minister for Infrastructure Sets Up Advisory Panel

Kirsty McManus, Chairperson of the new Ministerial Advisory Panel and the Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon MLA

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has established a Ministerial Advisory Panel to assist with providing cleaner, greener, more sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure going forward. The Panel will also consider the need for an Infrastructure Commission for Northern Ireland to support long-term planning and development across the island of Ireland.

·        Kirsty McManus of the Institute of Directors will chair the panel which comprises a small group of independent experts and key stakeholders in infrastructure.

·        It will primarily address the ‘hard’ infrastructure that falls under the remit of the Department for Infrastructure. These areas are water, drainage and inland waterways, public transport, roads and cycling infrastructure.

·        Minister Mallon stated the importance of long-term planning and delivery in infrastructure and will explore with the Panel the value of setting up a Commission to support this.

·        The Panel will also consider the appropriateness of any future Commission having a remit beyond the Department’s official remit to deliver partnership across departments, communities, public and private sectors, and the island of Ireland as a whole.

·        Meeting as required between now and early September, the Panel will present a final report containing recommendations to the Minister in Autumn 2020.

Further Education College Principals' Group welcome Economy Minister's commitment to apprenticeships

Ken Webb, Chairperson of the Further Education Colleges Principals’ Group

Reacting to Minister Dodds announcement of an apprenticeship recovery package plan, Ken Webb, Chairperson of the Further Education Colleges Principals’ Group said:

“We welcome the Minister’s commitment to supporting apprenticeships and this recovery package which includes an additional £17.2million of funding will be vital to this. However, time is running out and apprentices and employers need to know the fine detail of what will be included in this package to plan for the future.”

“The role of apprenticeships in our economic rebuilding cannot be over-stated. A skilled workforce is necessary to drive forward recovery and we need to do everything possible to maintain and grow the supply of apprenticeship opportunities.”

“Many employers are making decisions which will impact on our learners and without information on what incentives will be available they are unlikely to commit to taking on new apprentices or indeed potentially retaining the current ones. To this end, it is critical that all the details of this important recovery package is forthcoming.”

Londonderry Chamber welcomes NIO Minister to North West

(L-R) Paul Clancy, Chief Executive, Derry Chamber; Dawn McLaughlin, Vice-President, Derry Chamber; Aidan O’Kane, Director, Allstate NI; Minister Robin Walker MP, Minister of State for Northern Ireland.

The Londonderry Chamber has urged the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Office to provide greater and urgent clarity to NI businesses as the Brexit transition period comes to an end. 

In Minister Robin Walker’s first visit to the North West today, a Chamber delegation discussed key challenges and opportunities facing the North West business community including Covid-19, Brexit, and the City Deal.

Last month, a Chamber survey found that a third of North West businesses feel “unprepared” for the end of the Brexit transition period while a further 71% of businesses feel the government has “not engaged” enough with them to explain the potential changes and impacts of Brexit. With just over three months until the transition period ends, businesses are concerned that they will not be left with enough time to put in place measures to mitigate any impact of additional costs or changes to their operations.

(L-R) Minister Robin Walker MP, Minister of State for Northern Ireland; and Paul Clancy, Chief Executive, Derry Chamber.

Paul Clancy, Chief Executive, Derry Chamber, said:

“We welcomed the opportunity to host Minister Walker as he visited the North West for the first time this afternoon. This was a timely and crucial meeting with the Minister as the local business community begins to find its feet again after the impact of Covid-19 over the past number of months. Local businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic and, while we have been grateful for key support measures from the Treasury like the furlough scheme and help for the self-employed, greater financial backing for businesses in the North West will be needed over the coming weeks and months. The UK Government should consider extending the flexi-furlough scheme further to help businesses and avoid large-scale job losses and redundancies, especially in sectors like hospitality and tourism.

“This was also a useful opportunity to engage directly with the NIO on Brexit issues. A recent Chamber survey found that only a third of North West businesses feel prepared for the end of the transition period. These are very concerning figures and we desperately need greater clarity and concrete details which will allow our members to prepare properly for any significant changes. The recently announced Trader Support Scheme is a good first step by the Government and will help local firms with burdensome paperwork and prohibitive costs as they bring in goods from the rest of the UK and beyond. But local businesses need much more clarity and detailed information. The Chamber has been clear since the Brexit vote over four years ago that east-west trade is as important as north-south trade, and that any impediment to business could be potentially catastrophic to our local economy.

“We also discussed the City Deal with Minister Walker, the full roll-out of the programme and packages, and the potentially transformative it would have for the entire North West region. The importance of greater investment in our region has become even more relevant in the age of Coronavirus and we look forward to working closely with the Government and the Executive to maximise the potential of the schemes and funding.

“This was a positive and useful engagement with Minister Walker, and we hope to have ongoing engagements with the NIO going forward. Government support will be crucial as we protect local businesses from the impact of Coronavirus and any possible upheaval brought about by Brexit.”

New North West Campaign Group Set Up to Tackle Remote Working Tax Rules for Cross Border Workers

Urgent review needed says Cross-Border Workers Coalition

A new campaign group has been established in the North West to place pressure on the Irish Government to make changes to personal tax liability regulations for employees resident in the Republic of Ireland but who work in Northern Ireland.

New Lobby Group: The Cross Border Workers Coalition

The group – the Cross-Border Workers Coalition (CBWC) – has been set up in response to the fact that employees who live in the Republic of Ireland but work in Northern Ireland are largely prohibited from remote working and are subject to a ‘double tax’ on their income should it be determined that they have worked from home or within the Republic of Ireland.

The CBWC has now called on politicians to urgently review the situation and take advantage of the opportunity that has arisen during the coronavirus crisis when all companies across the island of Ireland instructed their staff to work from home as the pandemic took hold.

The new body says the financial contribution of this tax to the Irish Revenue is minimal and a blunt measure impacting on the health and wellbeing of workers, particularly at this difficult time.

Whereby a NI resident employee can work in the Republic of Ireland for a number of days without triggering a tax liability, a RoI resident employee that works substantially outside of RoI would lose the ability to claim Cross Border Worker Relief for carrying out certain duties.

Now that the lockdown enforcement is beginning to ease it is thought that many cross border workers will remain working at home for some time to come. The group says it’s time the make the right changes to future proof against other outbreaks and create a better work life balance for employees who are forced, in some cases, to commute up to 500kms each week, mostly by car.

Spokesperson for the group and Donegal resident working for a NI based company Conor Dowds said today:

“Despite Cross Border Worker Relief being in place to allow the tax liability of Republic of Ireland residents to be waived, this only relates to a very small number of permissible actions and is largely ineffectual.”

“Under the current rules, RoI domiciled employees working for an NI based company are subject to a ‘double tax’ on their income if they are to perform any work-related activities in the Republic of Ireland.”

Conor Dowds

“This has caused great stress and worry for many members of our group when companies took the decision at the start of March to have all their staff work from home. Thankfully the Irish Revenue waived the liability in relation to the situation during the surge phase of the coronavirus pandemic, but it really did bring into sharp focus the restriction this forces on people who live in RoI but who happen to work in Northern Ireland.” 

“We hear on the news daily that we are to expect a second coronavirus wave, a potential winter ‘flu outbreak, not to mention the systems that will have to put in place when the UK leaves the European Union, so we need to have some certainty that our members will not face the threat of the tax liability as we face the new normal. The need for change could not be any more apparent.”

Aidan O’Kane part of the leadership of the Cross-Border Workers Coalition continued:

“The stress and strain the current regime places upon the health and well-being of hundreds if not thousands of workers is having a real and lasting impact on people. Technology is so advanced that workplace connectivity is now commonplace and has proven to allow workers to spend more time with their families when they are not commuting. It has cut down substantially on pollution and traffic due to the over reliance on cars getting workers across the border to their physical office space.”

“With Brexit looming we need to ensure that we do all we can to mitigate the worst impacts of the UK leaving the European Union. That means reminding our politicians about the guarantees contained in the Good Friday Agreement and the flow of people, talent and skills across the island of Ireland which has a significant impact on our collective prosperity brought about by wealth creation, jobs, economic growth and social mobility.”

Paul Quinn part of the leadership of the Cross-Border Workers Coalition added:

“It is time that changes were made and we are calling on our local elected representatives in the North West on both sides of the border and those with the Ministerial responsibility in Dublin to take this opportunity to adapt the rules to alleviate this pressure on many anxious employees.”

CBWC’s Paul Quinn

“We are pressing our politicians to be live to the benefits of allowing RoI employees who work in Northern Ireland to give them the flexibility to work from home, even for a limited number of days that is equivalent to those afforded to NI employees.”

Former Obama ambassador to address virtual Belfast conference

Ambassador Samantha Power with former US President Barack Obama

Ambassador Samantha Power to speak on her time in the White House, her thoughts on upcoming Presidential election, and her leadership experience

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations and key adviser to former US President Barack Obama, Samantha Power, is set to deliver a keynote address at this year’s CO3 Virtual Global Leadership Conference.

Ambassador Power, who was the US’s representative at the UN between 2013 and 2017, is currently a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School and has remained a vocal and high-profile supporter of the Democratic Party in the US since she left office.

Raised in Ireland until the age of nine when her family emigrated to the US, Ambassador Power has spoken fondly of her Irish roots and is a regular visitor. Beginning her career as a war journalist, reporting from places as varied as Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan and Zimbabwe, Ambassador Power is widely considered to be one of the US’s leading and most well-respected experts on foreign policy.

Ambassador Samantha Power

Ambassador Power’s keynote address is titled “Working with Obama, views on Trump, and struggles of balancing idealism with realism” and will explore her career in the White House and at the heart of US government, as well as her insights into this November’s Presidential election.

The CO3 Leadership Conference and Awards, which takes place virtually this year, will take place over two days on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September. With the theme “Leading Forward: Can a better society emerge?”, sessions will focus on leading through crisis, the power of high-impact leadership teams, building trusting partnerships, and building back better post-Covid.

Other keynote speakers include Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the UK’s largest network of food banks, the Trussell Trust; comedian and actress Rosie Jones, who lives with cerebral palsy and campaigns for greater representation of disability in the media and on television and stage; and Brendan Hall, who skippered a racing yacht in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2009 and now speaks globally to organisations about positively developing their own internal culture.

CO3 Chief Executive, Nora Smith, said:

“We are thrilled to be launching this year’s Leadership Conference and Awards. While Covid-19 has stopped us from gathering physically for this year’s conference, the CO3 team are working to make sure it is as inspiring and invigorating as any other year. Running a virtual event means we can be more accessible, flexible, and convenient for delegates and reach a wider range of attendees than usually possible. With four stellar keynote speakers, this is an event which will appeal to anyone interested in everything from global politics and business to impactful leadership and organisational and team excellence.

“The value of strong, effective, and compassionate leadership is as important now as it ever has been. The local charity and voluntary sector has been significantly impacted by Coronavirus and this is an incredible opportunity for sector leaders to get together, exchange ideas and best practice, and listen to and learn from world leaders. We are also running a number of useful workshops which will provide practical advice and information to third sector leaders at this time of upheaval and uncertainty. In keeping with this year’s theme – building a better society – our speakers will share their unique skills, experiences, and competencies with delegates, which will be crucial as we aim to build back better post-pandemic.

“We are particularly excited to hear from former US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power. As someone who lay at the heart of US foreign policy throughout President Obama’s tenure in office, and who eventually went on to lead the country’s mission globally, Ambassador Power’s experiences are unparalleled and will provide delegates with unrivalled leadership advice. With a keen interest and knowledge in what is happening globally, Ambassador Power’s insights into key challenges like Coronavirus and the upcoming Presidential election will be riveting and provide real food for thought for our delegates.”

Early bird passes at £45 for both days are available until Friday 28th August at 5pm. Each delegate will also receive a copy of Ambassador Power’s best-selling book ‘The Education of an Idealist’ as part of their delegate pass. To register and for more information, please visit http://www.co3.bz/event/virtual-global-leadership-conference-2020.

Hospitality Ulster reacts to the news that traditional non-food serving pubs will not be allowed to reopen on 1 September as indicated previously

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster

“This is catastrophic news for hard-working publicans right across Northern Ireland who made the ultimate sacrifice in closing their premises six months ago for the greater good. These individuals and families have endured two months of additional closure without any financial support. In so doing, they have already demonstrated a high level of responsibility at considerable personal and financial cost.”

“The Northern Ireland Executive must now come forward with immediate financial assistance. Without this, thousands of jobs will be lost along with a vital part of the hospitality sector here. It will be unforgivable if this is need is not met.”

“These hard-working publicans are paying the price with no income and a stack of bills running into the thousands of pounds each week. This is just not sustainable. We understand that the Executive didn’t even meet today and it is simply an insult that, at the very least, a meeting was called to discuss the impact of this decision on thousands of staff and their families. They haven’t even been given another suggested indicative date, removing any hope they may still have.” 

“We understand the risk posed by this virus but we have not been presented with any definitive evidence to suggest traditional non-food pubs are any higher risk. Indeed, experience in the rest of the UK would suggest otherwise. We are now calling on the Executive to take another look at this and find a workable and practical solution to resolve this major problem.”

“As employers, employees and their families face the reality of further uncertainty and likely job losses, it is over the NI Executive to ensure that these people can put food on their tables.”