People Before Profit has called for a zero-Covid strategy for the island of Ireland in its alternative budget.
The party has proposed a €250 million Covid-19 fund to be given to Northern Ireland, to allow for “an all-Ireland coherent and effective strategy” to eliminate the virus on the island to be pursued.
People Before Profit said the money should be used to fund services in the North and that a failure to “crush Covid-19” would ultimately crush the economy.
Boris Johnson isn’t willing to give the North the money to pursue an all-Ireland coherent and effective strategy... we would actually offer financial support to the North to deliver that desperately-needed all-Ireland strategy.
Speaking at the launch of the document at the Department of Health in Dublin, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said Budget 2021 must pursue a zero-Covid strategy.
“That has to be done on an all-Ireland basis and we’re unique in actually proposing a fund where we would assist the North if they need it,” he said.
“Boris Johnson isn’t willing to give the North the money to pursue an all-Ireland coherent and effective strategy... we would actually offer financial support to the North to deliver that desperately-needed all-Ireland strategy.”
False division
Mr Boyd Barrett said an all-island approach and significant enhancements to the protections of workers were central to the strategy to halt the spread of the virus, and there was a “false division” between protecting public health and the economy.
“We will not be able to protect the health of the population, the livelihoods of workers and the future for our society unless we get on top of the Covid-19 crisis, which we think the Government strategy to date has failed to do,” he said.
“We want to break down the false division between protecting public health and protecting workers and livelihoods,” he said.
“The truth is unless we get a grip of Covid-19 and crush Covid-19 there will not be anything like a sustainable or viable economic outlook for the foreseeable future.
“Protecting public health and protecting workers and protecting livelihoods go absolutely hand in hand and that has to be done on an all-Ireland basis.”
