Emmet Doyle: Suspension of Flights from Britain to the North of Ireland
Aontú Cllr for Derry, Emmet Doyle, has called for an immediate suspension of all flights and transports between Britain and the North of Ireland, matching the 48 hour suspensions seen across Europe and the rest of Ireland.
Cllr Emmet Doyle:
“In the last 24 hours, we have seen government across Europe impose flight bans on Britain in light of the new strain of the Coronavirus spreading there. On the Island of Ireland, the Irish government has announced a suspension of all flights to and from Britain. The North cannot be an outlier. Our healthcare system is at over 100% capacity in many locations. Patients are being treated in ambulances parked outside of Antrim Hospital. We are in lockdown because of our health care incapacity. We need to stop this new strain making it onto the Island of Ireland, and need to immediately adopt an All-Ireland approach to precluding this new strain reaching our shores.”
“I am directly calling on the Northern Executive to suspend all flights to and from Britain, and for both authorities on the Island of Ireland to immediately adopt an All-Ireland approach to curtailing flights from Britain and to contain the new strain of the Coronavirus to the Britain. Throughout this pandemic, we have failed to utilise the natural advantages of an Island combatting a Virus. The approach of the Executive ias been a confused disaster. As a new strain has developed, let us hope our governments have learned from the mistakes of the past.”