Downing Street party row damaging public health message in NI – Stormont leaders

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Stormont’s leaders have said the controversy over Downing Street’s alleged rule-breaking party has damaged the public health message in Northern Ireland. “Because the evidence that we’re hearing from the scientific experts in and of itself tells us that we need to be having a prepared state in terms of what we need to consider, and so the public shouldn’t be distracted by what has happened with the Prime Minister and what’s going on at Downing Street continue to listen to the good advice that’s coming from our health professionals, our scientific experts and cut through the noise that’s being generated from Downing Street. Asked whether the Downing Street Christmas party controversy had damaged the public health messaging, Ms O’Neill said: “There’s no doubt that it undermines the public health message but what we’re focused on here today is just to drive home that message that what we have in place here is enough if two things happen – if we have strong enforcement and if the public adhere. “But I think collectively we’ve all then got an opportunity here to actually avoid that if everybody can just double down, just be cautious, be careful in the weeks ahead.” Ms O’Neill expressed regret last year after conceding that the attendance of her and other party colleagues at the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey, at a time when strict limits on funerals were in place, had damaged the public health messaging in Northern Ireland.