Mr. Dáithí O'Ceallaigh:

I agree with the Senator entirely about Covid. We have been locked down for 13 or 14 months, effectively. It has been impossible for people to have private arrangements, meetings and chats or a bite of lunch or dinner, or whatever it is. Many of the difficulties that occurred in Northern Ireland during the negotiations that eventually led to the agreement last December could have been eased had there been face-to-face meetings instead of having people stuck, as we are now, in different rooms because of Covid. Therefore, I entirely agree that Covid has had a negative effect and that it has made it very difficult to build up the sorts of arrangements one would like.

I welcomed the visit to London this week of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Simon Coveney. By all accounts, it has been a good visit. It was helpful that Lord Frost was able to go to Brussels last Thursday. That was also good.

As regards meeting before September, I have had my first jab. I am a little older than most of the members so I am due my second jab tomorrow week. Therefore, it might be okay for me to travel in two or three weeks' time. Even though I will have had the two jabs, however, will I know whether I am carrying the virus or not? I believe it will not be at any time before the early summer before there are circumstances that would allow people to go over to London to have a chat with a few people, for example. I refer to going over in the morning and coming back in the evening. We will probably be waiting until September for that. We will probably be waiting until September or the autumn before there are interparliamentary group meetings or face-to-face meetings in the North.

Covid has made government in the North particularly difficult. It was difficult enough as it was but when body language is missed, it can make things very difficult. I do not have anything good to say to the Senator about being able to travel. I do not believe we will really be able to do so this side of the summer, but I am not an expert. Who knows?