Opinion

Clear message needed on overseas holidays

Anyone considering a foreign holiday this summer would be entitled to feel completely confused by the guidance being provided by Stormont.

On the face of it, the advice on the official government website is straightforward, and states: ''You should not travel abroad unless it's essential.''

But then we have the decision of the executive to draw up a list of exempted countries, including Italy, France and Spain, that passengers can travel from without the need to self-isolate when they arrive in Northern Ireland.

This development, which came into effect on July 10, would have been viewed by many people as the green light to book an overseas trip while observing the rules on social distancing and wearing a face covering on planes and at airports.

However, as the minor rumpus over Paula Bradshaw's holiday plans demonstrates, this is not an entirely clear cut issue.

On Monday the Alliance MLA and member of the Stormont health committee initially defended the decision to take a family break to Italy saying the guidance was 'advice, it's not something that we're mandated to do'.

Within hours she had cancelled her trip and stressed the importance of adhering to the letter and spirit of the current guidance.

Asked about this issue in Ballymena on the same day, first minister Arlene Foster muddied the waters even further when she insisted it was not for her to tell people what they should do.

She said that if people have booked a holiday and their destination is on the green or amber list then they can go without having to quarantine when they come back.

"Whether they go or not is entirely a matter for their own judgment," she added.

All this is no help to people who are trying to decide if they can travel abroad on holiday and are seeking specific advice from government websites, which tend to add to the confusion.

There is no doubt that the issue of air travel is a complex one for governments as they try to balance the economic benefits with the potential health risks.

Quarantine is one option but there may be other more practical measures that can be explored.

When it comes to overseas holidays, there is an onus on the executive to produce a clear message and much needed certainty.