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India and US muscled out Northern Ireland in personal protective equipment (PPE) race, Conor Murphy says

 Finance Minister Conor Murphy during a previous Coronavirus media briefing at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast
 Finance Minister Conor Murphy during a previous Coronavirus media briefing at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast  Finance Minister Conor Murphy during a previous Coronavirus media briefing at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast

Bidders from India and the US muscled out Northern Ireland in the race for personal protective equipment (PPE), Stormont's finance minster has said.

An effort to place an order with China using contacts in the Republic of Ireland fell through and Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy was accused of giving health workers false hopes which were dashed.

He has been criticised by political opponents over his handling of the matter after he said a significant consignment from China was expected as part of a joint order with Dublin.

Addressing Stormont's Finance Committee today, Mr Murphy said: "The US has come into the market. It has brought both its economic and political muscle into the market and attempted to secure significant supply lines from China to satisfy its own demands.

"India has come in with a much stronger economic and political muscle.

"Irish supply lines quickly dried up."

Read more:Conor Murphy urged to provide detail on failed PPE order as five million items released by London

He added that he had been arranging to make payment to the Republic of Ireland for the extra supplies when he learned the proposed deal had come "unstuck".

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister said: "Before you saw a single apron or mask, you were about to send the money to Dublin."

Mr Murphy agreed, but said every country was having to move fast to confront the infection.

He said the Republic's officials had a larger presence on the ground in China and were two or three weeks ahead of Northern Ireland in attempting to secure supplies.

He added that the Republic had also arranged flights and the intention had been to add Northern Ireland's requirements to the Republic's through a joint order.

The minister admitted: "Irish supply lines quickly dried up."

He had testy exchanges with DUP and UUP Assembly members.

His predecessor Jim Wells claimed: "You built up false hopes amongst the staff in the public and private sector which were dashed."

Committee chairman and Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken asked the minister why he was not aware that the order would not be fulfilled.

The DUP's Paul Frew sought email trails and other documentation to give the committee greater assurances.

Five more people have died from Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 78.

Map of global Covid-19 cases by John Hopkins University: