Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Making the roast of community ties
THE DUP said there is “value in exploring” a two-island approach by Ireland and the UK to international travel as part of the pandemic response.
The party’s leader in Westminster, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, added there was a lot of scope for cooperation in the Common Travel Area that operates between the two islands.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said last week that preliminary discussions on such an approach have begun with the UK government.
Asked about an approach that would encompass the jurisdictions of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic, Mr Donaldson told Newstalk: “I think there is value in exploring that, yes.
“It needs to be done on a UK and Common Travel Area basis.
“I think there is a lot of scope for cooperation on the whole question of the Common Travel Area.
“In terms of international visitors coming in to the Common Travel Area, there is scope for greater cooperation.”
The UK recently announced strict new mandatory hotel quarantine measures for passengers arriving from 33 “red list” countries. Penalties of up to £10,0000 or 10 years in prison have been introduced for those who try to conceal that they are travelling from a red list country.
The Irish government announced its own list of 20 red list countries but without such severe penalties.
Last week, Mr Varadkar backed a two-island approach.
He said: “The best thing we can do is try to coordinate.
“Because if Northern Ireland is a back door to the Republic of Ireland, Ireland is a backdoor to Britain and to England.
“The best thing we can do is work together on this, and
I’m a strong advocate of the
A COUPLE who run a coffee van have revealed how their beans and brews are helping locals through lockdown.
Claire and Jim Mallon are behind Works Coffee Roasters which serves in the Waterworks, North Belfast.
She said: “I was born and raised a stone’s throw away in the Dunmore area, and almost every day of my young life was spent in the Waterworks.”
But as the park had became a hot spot for anti-social behaviour, the couple saw this as something they could help change.
Claire added: “I was enthused by the challenge of breathing new life, positivity and providing not just a business, but an amenity for local park users.
“Many families with limited outdoor space classify the Waterworks as North Belfast’s garden and use it every day.
“When we open that hatch, the community spirit is alive.
“Our customers are so grateful to be able to access a freshly-roasted coffee right on their doorstep.
“In a way, Works Coffee has become a solace for many people and that’s certainly needed now.
“People come from all over to use the park as part of their daily outdoor activity and you can see the comfort and calm the beautiful surroundings can have.
“We’re all too familiar with the mental health difficulties in North Belfast and the park is an essential outlet which can have a real positive
impact.”
CUP FOR IT Claire at Works Coffee van two-islands strategy as much as we can, aligning and working together.” Mr Donaldson criticised the Dublin government’s failure to share data with the Executive on passengers arriving into the Republic, who may be travelling on to Northern Ireland. He said: “It’s not just about Northern Ireland and the Republic. “It’s about the UK as a whole, and the Republic because we know at the moment there are difficulties, for example in data sharing, which normally happens under the Common Travel Area. “The Executive has been waiting for over 10 months for the Irish government to agree to share data on people who
CLAIRE MALLON YESTERDAY
have entered the Republic of Ireland, through ports or airports, and are travelling North.
“So with the greatest of respect, the difficulty here is not unionists in the Executive.
“I suggest you ask the relevant Irish government minister, why over 10 months later on foot of a request from the Northern Ireland Executive for the sharing of data, we are still waiting for the Irish government to approve that request.”
A further 176 individuals tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the Department of Health said yesterday.
A further 11 deaths have were also reported. One of the deaths took place outside the reporting period.
It brings the total number of deaths linked to the virus in Northern Ireland to 1,996.