Northern Ireland

Calls for extension to furlough scheme as north 'going to hit our cliff edge'

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill

STORMONT finance minister Conor Murphy is to write to the UK Treasury calling for an extension to the job retention scheme just weeks before it is due to end.

The executive supported Mr Murphy's proposal following its meeting yesterday.

Around 200,000 employees here benefit from the furlough scheme.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the north is "going to hit our cliff edge very shortly".

"Thousands of people are going to be without employment and what we need as an Executive is to be able to support those people in what is going to be a very challenging winter," she said.

First Minister Arlene Foster cited concerns over the latest estimate of the R-number in Northern Ireland being 1.3.

"What we're trying to do is open the economy but at the same time do it in a safe way because we were told today that the R number is about 1.3, we need to get it below one again," she said.

"It is the younger population that seems to be affected now, in the previous iteration of Covid-19 in March/April it was the older population.

"Whilst that may not mean more hospital admissions, we are concerned that the younger people may take it home to older or vulnerable people and that gives us some concern."

Separately Ms O'Neill said she hopes drink-only pubs in NI will receive a new indicative date to reopen next week.

Earlier she and Executive counterparts agreed an indicative date of September 14 for the reopening of soft play areas.

News of the latest lifting of restrictions came as it was confirmed that one more Covid-19 linked fatality was recorded yesterday bringing the overall death toll to 563 according to Department of Health figures.

The woman who died was aged over 60. Officials figures show that 467 new cases of the virus have also been detected in the last seven days.

In the Republic no new deaths were recorded and the fatality toll stands at 1,777.

Ms O'Neill said yesterday's Executive meeting had been "very lengthy".

"We're at a very crucial point in terms of the Covid spread and we just have to be very mindful that everything we do now, what implications that would have," she said.

Ms O'Neill said more work needs to be done around the reopening of pubs not serving food.

"In terms of the whole issue of pubs, something that has been quite topical of late, it is clear there is a lot more work to be done there,” she said.

The issue of pubs was discussed as publicans from Monaghan held a protest at the Dáil and to highlight the plight of their industry in the south.

Mrs Foster said ministers will "intensely engage" with the hospitality sector over the coming days.

She said they also want to speak to the entertainment sector as many small bands have also been struggling during lockdown.

"I very much hope that we can give an indicative date to those wet pubs in the coming days," she said.

Mrs Foster said the other areas to make a decision over an indicative date include theatres.