Following a meeting with the Taoiseach and other Dáil party leaders this evening, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has said that she remains concerned that issues relating to testing and tracing remain to be resolved, and that the resources to ensure a safe winding down of restrictions are not yet in place. 

She said:

“Firstly, I want to welcome the commitment of the Taoiseach to set out a plan on Friday. This will come as a relief to the many people who are seeking clarity at this time.

“Everyone wants things to return to normal, to see our families and go about our business, but we must be guided by what is safe to do so and the capacity of the health service to respond adequately to further outbreaks of Covid-19. 

“I am, however, very concerned that issues surrounding testing and tracing remain to be resolved, and that the capacity and resources to ensure a safe winding down of restrictions are not yet in place. 

“We also need sectoral plans to ensure the health and safety of workers is paramount, as I set out in my letter to the Taoiseach on Monday, and additional supports for SME’s at this time.

“We are at a critical stage in this process. I told the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health that the kite-flying and speculation around the lifting of restrictions has been most unhelpful and that this must end. 

“I hope that this evening’s meeting is the start of a transparent, planned approach to dealing with all of these issues.”