The ousting of Arlene Foster as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will lead to a difficult and turbulent period ahead â not alone for the operation of the Northern Ireland protocol, but also for North-South relations, senior politicians, diplomats and commentators have said.
Diplomatic sources believe itâs âgoing to be difficult for a period to comeâ. They have taken the decision by the Northâs Minister for Agriculture Edwin Poots â the frontrunner to succeed Foster â to boycott a North-South ministerial conference as ânot a great signalâ.
âWhoever comes in is not going to portray themselves as less staunch than Arlene. Where do they go?â
Hope for foreign holidays later this summer ahead of Taoiseach s lockdown announcement
The Minister said holidays won t be a big feature in May and June but added that a passport system is being examined within the EU as the vaccine rollout continues
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Hope for a more positive summer, says Coveney
Updated / Thursday, 29 Apr 2021
09:33
Political Correspondent
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said a staged, incremental re-opening of society which is consistent with public health will be announced today offering hope for a more positive summer.
Speaking on RTÉ s Morning Ireland, he said he hopes it will be a moment when hope will break through amongst society that there is a pathway out of the pandemic.
Mr Coveney said the gradual changes will happen at stages beginning on 10 May and will allow an easing of restrictions on families, businesses and give people the ability to move around.
Updated / Thursday, 29 Apr 2021
13:24
Team training can begin again in just under a fortnight
With the Cabinet to meet later today to to consider a plan on reopening society and the economy, it is expected that the green light will be given for adult team sports training to resume from 10 May.
It will mark a further opening up of sporting activity, following on from the return of GAA inter-county training on 19 April and last Monday s reopening of sports facilities, including pitches, golf courses and tennis courts.
This, no doubt, will be welcome news for participants who have been deprived of all but solo training since Christmas and had to endure truncated seasons of sport in 2020.