TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has been accused of paying "lip service" to an-island pledge to share information between the two governments in the fight against coronavirus and easing lockdown.
Last week, First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill expressed their "disappointment" at the executive not being given advance sight of the Republic's 'roadmap' to relaxing restrictions.
The southern strategy was released on Friday, May 1, with Mr Varadkar appearing on RTÉ's Late Late Show later that evening to explain the five-phase plan.
Ms O'Neill told The Irish News that she believed the timing of the Republic's political parties in trying to form a government - without Sinn Féin - had led to some being "opportunistic" in releasing the Covid-19 exit strategy.
"We held a general meeting the day before (Thursday) about the lifting of measures. We had a discussion around the fact we needed to work together in terms of the exit strategy and how the disease could spread across the island - and therefore the need for that joined-up approach," she said.
"As I said previously, I was disappointed that they didn't take the time to share information with us because it would have been helpful in terms of our own deliberations. If we’re going to be joined up then it needs to be more than lip service.
"I suppose the challenge at the moment is that Leo Varadkar and co are trying to form a government to the exclusion of Sinn Féin and are perhaps being opportunistic in the middle of what is a very serious crisis to try and feather their own nests in terms of getting themselves into government."
The Sinn Féin northern leader said she had consistently lobbied for an all-island approach - as opposed to following the Whitehall lead - as the only way to "save lives".
"This is far too serious an issue for party politics to be part of anybody’s thinking as to how we conduct ourselves at this point in time. I think what we need to do is have that joined up response and for it to be genuine and real and for it to work for people."
There was an outcry at the weekend after it emerged the Fine Gael leader described Northern Ireland as "overseas" during a radio interview.
He was accused of "insulting nationalists" and asked to withdraw his remarks.
In defending the release of the plan without brefing their northern counterparts, Fine Gael's Employment Affairs minister Regina Doherty caused further concern by saying the "most important task... was to tell Irish people".
Ms Doherty said that "in hindsight" maybe the first and deputy first ministers should have been told of the detail.
Last month a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between health departments on both sides of the border in which they expressed their "mutual willingness to promote cooperation and collaboration" in tackling the pandemic.
The document points to the virus "not respecting borders" and states there is "therefore a compelling case" for "strong co-operation" including information-sharing and, where appropriate, a "common approach to action in both jurisdictions".
According to the memorandum, a meeting took place on March 14 between the two governments where it was agreed that "everything possible will be done in co-ordination and cooperation between the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive and with the active involvement of the health administrations in both jurisdictions to tackle the outbreak".
