Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PADDY WHACKED
Councillors cancel Belfast parade over coronavirus fears
BELFAST City Council agreed last night to cancel this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade and concert over coronavirus fears.
Lord Mayor Daniel Baker said he had discussed the issue with a member of the Public Health Agency half an hour before the meeting.
He added: “While it was still their advice not to cancel events, they did understand the situation we are in. They are in containment stage, however, this could change very quickly.”
It comes as the Republic banned all of its parades, dealing a multi-million euro hammer
blow to its economy. A total of 24 councillors voted for the motion, with two against, and the rest abstaining.
Sinn Fein councillor Ronan Mclaughlin said: “What we need to do as a council is to make sure we do all that is in our power to contain this as much as possible.”
His party, the Greens, People
Before Profit, Alliance and the SDLP supported the motion – the DUP abstained from the vote.
An SDLP amendment was not supported and several parties questioned the process by which the motion came to the council.
PUP councillor John Kyle said his party had “concerns”.
He added: “I think this is over-reach on the part of politicians. This is a decision that should rest with the Public Health Agency and the Chief Medical Officer.
“It’s a decision that experts should make and not politicians.”
He told the Mayor: “I understand what you are doing and why you are doing it, and I am sure you have the best of motives, but it is not the Lord Mayor’s job to protect the residents of this city, it is
Lord Mayor’s job to respond to the advice he is given by the experts and then implement that advice.”
UUP Alderman Sonia Copeland added: “I’m really not sure whether we are doing the right thing at this minute in time.
“Whatever message this council puts out, we have to be very mindful people will panic. We have to be very mindful of the wording that goes out there.”