CIRCUIT-BREAKER: Clock ticking as another night goes by STILL without agreement on way forward
The Stormont Executive has broken up for a third night in succession – without any resolution over covid restrictions.
It is understood Ministers will re-convene tomorrow morning in another bid to find any common ground over a way forward when current circuit-breaker restrictions come to an end tomorrow at midnight.
Downtown Radio & Cool FM understands it was another bad-tempered meeting with no prospect of a consensus.
It is believed more information was needed before further discussion – and that is essentially what has prompted the break-up tonight.
They will attempt to come to some sort of agreement tomorrow but time is clearly running out and with legislation ending that will mean a return to the situation on October 16.
Earlier in the day the DUP vetoed a proposed one-week extension to the lockdown.
All the other executive parties had backed the proposal from health minister Robin Swann.
Those same parties voted down alternative proposals from DUP economy minister Diane Dodds that would have led to a partial reopening of the hospitality sector.
Divisions at the head of the powersharing administration have been laid bare over recent days as ministers struggle to agree new pandemic response measures.
The DUP had already vetoed a proposal from Mr Swann to extend the current circuit-break by two weeks, despite the other four executive parties again backing the move.
During a third executive meeting in three days on Wednesday, Mr Swann suggested a one-week extension of the measures, which have forced much of the hospitality sector to close.
It is understood the one-week proposal was designed to buy some time and avoid the cliff edge of the current regulations lapsing at midnight on Thursday.
The DUP again vetoed the proposal using a contentious voting mechanism.
The executive's two main parties - the DUP and Sinn Fein - are engaged in a claim and counterclaim spat amid a failure to reach consensus ahead of the looming end of the current circuit-break.
The administration is facing mounting criticism for failing to tell businesses whether they will be able to reopen on Friday.
The DUP and Sinn Fein had clashed over Mr Swann's original proposal to extend the circuit-break in its entirety for two weeks.
The DUP used its veto to block the move during Tuesday's executive meeting.
That tactic drew criticism from Sinn Fein and the other three executive parties.
Alliance Party justice minister Naomi Long was particularly critical of the deployment of the cross-community vote - a mechanism designed to protect minority rights in a post-conflict society - to torpedo health regulations.
The DUP however is understood to be furious at Sinn Fein's decision to back Mr Swann's proposal.
The party believes Sinn Fein has backtracked on an apparent pledge to endorse the reopening of cafes and restaurants. This has been denied by Sinn Fein.
Mrs Foster told Downtown Radio that she still believe a solution was possible.
"There are no easy choices and every Miniser at the Executive table knows this," she said.
"We are acutely aware that every course of action has consequences and impacts on people's lives and livelihoods."
Earlier, deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill said: "My priority has been to save lives, protect livelihoods and ensure that our health service would not be overwhelmed by the spread of the virus.''
Mr Swann, an Ulster Unionist minister, and senior health officials had warned Covid-19 cases are likely to spike again in mid-December if the fortnight extension is not approved.
Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew branded the DUP move madness''.
After Mr Swann's two-week extension was voted down, ministers turned to debating the alternative proposals tabled by Mrs Dodds.
Those discussions resumed around lunchtime on Wednesday but ministers from Sinn Fein, the SDLP, UUP and Alliance ultimately rejected them at a vote.
Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, Mrs Dodds published data suggesting the four-week circuit-break had resulted in a £400 million loss for the local economy.