Responding to comments from the Irish Prime Minister Jim Allister said:
“Of course the Republic cannot be aligned with Northern Ireland in terms of easing its restrictions. How could it be otherwise when this part of the United Kingdom is vaccinating the over 35s while the Republic is dealing with over 65s?
“Few things have more starkly illustrated the benefits of being part of the UK in recent years than the utter shambles of the rollout in the Republic and indeed across the entire EU.
“There should be no question of Northern Ireland being held back, with the public and businesses kept under lockdowns which are economically and physiologically ruinous to the population because of failures in a foreign country.
“It is the duty of the Executive to defend its people from infection and if that means border controls and restraints on those travelling from the Republic then, so be it.”