Opinion

Analysis: Ignoring Irish citizens in north just latest snub by south's caretaker government

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced lockdown exit measures without giving details to Stormont
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced lockdown exit measures without giving details to Stormont Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced lockdown exit measures without giving details to Stormont

OUR geography has been our strength in the battle with Covid-19.

Early predictions about the scale of deaths have thankfully not come to fruition - partly due to the fact that as a small island, containment of the virus has been much easier than in mainland Europe.

In early April a memorandum of understanding was signed by the departments of health on both sides of the border.

It included facilitating greater co-operation on public health messaging, research and procurement.

It was agreed by health ministers Simon Harris and Robin Swann and by the island's two chief medical officers, Dr Tony Holohan and Dr Michael McBride.

And yet when taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the Irish government's five-stage plan for a slow exit from the coronavirus lockdown, he gave no detailed briefing to his Stormont counterparts.

That numerous medical experts have all said an all-island approach to tracking, tracing and isolating the virus is vital to a successful recovery seems not to have been a consideration.

Residents living in counties on either side of the border face trying to navigate two completely different systems of coronavirus containment on a daily basis.

Those border residents, who keep business and agriculture afloat in already challenging circumstances, have been further insulted by comments from minister Regina Doherty.

On last Friday's announcement, she said: "Our most important task to do after we had our cabinet meeting was to tell the Irish people, and that’s what the Taoiseach did."

Ignoring Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland is just the latest snub by the caretaker government.

Back in early March, Leo Varadkar announced that the south would be going into lockdown while he was still on an official visit to Washington.

Again his announcement caught his counterparts in Northern Ireland by surprise, with no prior warning of the decision relayed to Stormont.

At a time when a strong and united approach to healthcare is a necessity, the decision to move unilaterally will disappoint many.

Fine Gael remains committed to forming a government with Fianna Fáil, looking likely to be propped up by the Greens.

Both civil war parties have ruled out coalition with Sinn Féin now or at any time in the future.

Animosity in the south appears to be bleeding into decisions made in regards to cooperation with Sinn Féin as a party of government in the north.

This a concerning development at a time when strong communication is potentially a matter of life and death.