The Republic of Ireland has laid out a clear strategy for its exit from lockdown with its Health Minister Simon Harris saying he hoped there would be close alignment of coronavirus recovery strategies north and south of the Border.

However , Robin Swann, Health Minister at Stormont, has said it could be a fortnight before any dates are put on easing of restrictions.

The Republic’s strategy includes dates where they hope to enter into the different phases of their five-phase exit strategy.

Stormont’s deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, has also raised concern about setting milestone dates in Northern Ireland’s coronavirus exit strategy.

The Sinn Fein MLA said marking recovery phases on a calendar would lead to people focusing on certain dates and would result in disappointment if restrictions were not lifted on those days, due to scientific advice about the virus’s spread.

First Minister Arlene Foster said Northern Ireland’s plan had to be science-led, proportionate and designed to ensure the region avoided a second spike in cases.

Meanwhile Northern Ireland Health Minister, Robin Swann, speaking on Tuesday of this week said it could be a fortnight before dates are put on any exit strategy. He said: “It is fine, and I think it is right to have conversations as to what steps can be taken but to start to put dates on it is I think getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s see where the virus is in Northern Ireland in the next week and next fortnight before putting timetables in place”

Starting on May 18, the Republic will move from one phase to another every three weeks, as long as health experts deem it safe to do so.

Stormont ministers continue to work on a plan north of the Border.

Ireland’s health minister Simon Harris has said it makes scientific sense for the two recovery plans to be as closely aligned as possible.

Mrs. Foster revealed at a media briefing this week that the powersharing executive in Belfast did not receive advance sight of the Irish Republic’s plan before it was published.

Ms. O’Neill said that when the Stormont was published it should not be viewed as a “green light” for people to return to normal.

Asked if businesses could expect projected dates for when they might be able to reopen - something the Irish plan includes - the deputy first minister said: “I think there are difficulties presented by putting down dates, the reason being people then work to that.

And what if something happens, because we know that we have to monitor every action and see what that means in terms of the virus spread,” she said, before adding: “So you perhaps can look at blocks of time, but I think that it’s difficult to go into calendar-led announcements, given that people then make their plans based on that and then they’ll be very disappointed if that’s not the case.”

Mrs. Foster said ministers from both jurisdictions met last week to discuss issues but confirmed the Stormont executive was not given advance sight of the Irish strategy.

“The (north/south) memorandum of understanding which is in place is in relation to sharing information in terms of the health piece,” she said.

“Of course, it’s always for a government to put in place their own staging posts, way forward and that’s exactly what happened. We didn’t have a comprehensive view as to what was coming in relation to that plan.”

Ireland’s Health Minister, Simon Harris, had expressed hope for a close alignment of coronavirus recovery strategies north and south of the Border.

He said it made sense from a scientific point of view to have similar plans for easing lockdown measures in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Mr. Harris’s comments came as UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he could see the case that could be made for Northern Ireland moving at a different pace than the rest of the UK, given the virus has not impacted the region as severely.

Mr. Hancock said the relationship with the Irish Republic was “important”, though he highlighted that the shape of the virus curve - its decrease and fall - had broadly been the same across the UK.

Mr. Harris was asked about the position in Northern Ireland as Ireland unveiled its five-phase strategy to gradually relax Covid-19 restrictions. He said: “From an epidemiological point of view, it makes sense for the island of Ireland to be as closely aligned as possible as we can in relation to this.”