Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Pub Bore]

Clearly now the Covid regulations are in the bin. No one can be seriously thinking about obeying them now. The police and the PPS have lost all authority. The game is up.

The regulations just at the time of the Storey funeral were a bit vague, and not capable of being enforced.

This is more or less it.  New regs came in on 29 June.  Someone must have noticed they were unclear as they were tidied up on 2 July.  Storey funeral was on 30 June, so on that day there were contradictory regs about attendance at funerals, cemeteries and requiem masses.

Is it then acceptable for a party of government to either exploit those regulations given they knew they were unclear and needed "tidied up" Or did SF just go against them? Regardless of what the regs said exactly this took place in the middle of a pandemic.

You might be over thinking this a bit or giving SF a too much credit for being clever.  The PSNI need to take a lot of the flak here.

[imtommygunn]

There's probably quite a long list of people who got away with stuff on the fine etc front. SF are far from exclusive here. I think this is more reflective of a 2 tier society than anything. Joe Bloggs would get fined no bother but not various protests, these funerals etc.

[Saffrongael]

There's probably quite a long list of people who got away with stuff on the fine etc front. SF are far from exclusive here. I think this is more reflective of a 2 tier society than anything. Joe Bloggs would get fined no bother but not various protests, these funerals etc.

Yeah it's different rules, it shouldnt have happened & made O'Neill look like a hypocrite as she castigated the BLM protesters just a few weeks before the Storey funeral accusing them of potentially spreading Covid.  The political class don't see the same rules that Joe Bloggs has to adhere to applying to them. But it would have been politically very difficult and ultimately more hassle than it was worth to pursue prosecutions from this

[Saffrongael]

Clearly now the Covid regulations are in the bin. No one can be seriously thinking about obeying them now. The police and the PPS have lost all authority. The game is up.

The regulations just at the time of the Storey funeral were a bit vague, and not capable of being enforced.

This is more or less it.  New regs came in on 29 June.  Someone must have noticed they were unclear as they were tidied up on 2 July.  Storey funeral was on 30 June, so on that day there were contradictory regs about attendance at funerals, cemeteries and requiem masses.

No they weren't that confusing, everyone knew at the time it was wrong. Let's be honest here 

[imtommygunn]

There's probably quite a long list of people who got away with stuff on the fine etc front. SF are far from exclusive here. I think this is more reflective of a 2 tier society than anything. Joe Bloggs would get fined no bother but not various protests, these funerals etc.

Yeah it's different rules, it shouldnt have happened & made O'Neill look like a hypocrite as she castigated the BLM protesters just a few weeks before the Storey funeral accusing them of potentially spreading Covid.  The political class don't see the same rules that Joe Bloggs has to adhere to applying to them. But it would have been politically very difficult and ultimately more hassle than it was worth to pursue prosecutions from this

Yeah those are pretty much my thoughts.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Clearly now the Covid regulations are in the bin. No one can be seriously thinking about obeying them now. The police and the PPS have lost all authority. The game is up.

The regulations just at the time of the Storey funeral were a bit vague, and not capable of being enforced.

Why was Michelle telling us what to do then? The ordinary voter will see through this shite. SF are below contempt here

[Applesisapples]

SF were incredibly stupid to mark the Storey funeral as they did. They may well have been within the rules but certainly not within the spirit. having said that there are a lot of glass house with broken windows today. The reality has been the funerals have been a long running source of restriction breaking, whether it be wakes or congregating outside churches or in grave yards. Every single funeral in my area both Protestant and Catholic has had more mourners than allowed and no social distancing. let's not forget a government minister was at the Garda funeral down south. Funerals are a touchstone for Irish people of all dominations and it is extremely difficult to not attend to show sympathy.

[Saffrongael]

SF were incredibly stupid to mark the Storey funeral as they did. They may well have been within the rules but certainly not within the spirit. having said that there are a lot of glass house with broken windows today. The reality has been the funerals have been a long running source of restriction breaking, whether it be wakes or congregating outside churches or in grave yards. Every single funeral in my area both Protestant and Catholic has had more mourners than allowed and no social distancing. let's not forget a government minister was at the Garda funeral down south. Funerals are a touchstone for Irish people of all dominations and it is extremely difficult to not attend to show sympathy.

I know of plenty of funerals with half a dozen people at them due to the restrictions & your point about them being "within the rules" is incorrect

[Applesisapples]

SF were incredibly stupid to mark the Storey funeral as they did. They may well have been within the rules but certainly not within the spirit. having said that there are a lot of glass house with broken windows today. The reality has been the funerals have been a long running source of restriction breaking, whether it be wakes or congregating outside churches or in grave yards. Every single funeral in my area both Protestant and Catholic has had more mourners than allowed and no social distancing. let's not forget a government minister was at the Garda funeral down south. Funerals are a touchstone for Irish people of all dominations and it is extremely difficult to not attend to show sympathy.

I know of plenty of funerals with half a dozen people at them due to the restrictions & your point about them being "within the rules" is incorrect

There were 30 of them socially distanced behind the hearse, so with in the rules. The spirit was broken by proceeding with hundreds along the route. Mind you was the same at Humes funeral as I recall.

[Pub Bore]

Read the report from the PPS. It's only 9 or 10 pages.  It lays out pretty clearly why they couldn't proceed with prosecutions.  The PSNI didn't follow their own best practice.  The same regs that restricted funerals to 30 people also gave an exemption on numbers for funerals.  The regs that restricted numbers attending the funeral mass also allowed as many people as wanted to go to a funeral mass as long as they social distanced.  The law was badly written, confusing and even contradictory.   That's why they can't be prosecuted, they would have a pretty air tight defence.  SF didn't know that, of course.  It was a coincidence that the regs were a mess on that particular day. They still made fools of everyone. 

[Armagh18]

Anyone criticising anyone for going to a funeral, trying to tell someone not to go to a funeral or using a funeral for political point scoring is a lowlife

[Saffrongael]

Anyone criticising anyone for going to a funeral, trying to tell someone not to go to a funeral or using a funeral for political point scoring is a lowlife

Do you understand why people were being asked not to go to funerals ?

[trailer]

SF were incredibly stupid to mark the Storey funeral as they did. They may well have been within the rules but certainly not within the spirit. having said that there are a lot of glass house with broken windows today. The reality has been the funerals have been a long running source of restriction breaking, whether it be wakes or congregating outside churches or in grave yards. Every single funeral in my area both Protestant and Catholic has had more mourners than allowed and no social distancing. let's not forget a government minister was at the Garda funeral down south. Funerals are a touchstone for Irish people of all dominations and it is extremely difficult to not attend to show sympathy.

I know of plenty of funerals with half a dozen people at them due to the restrictions & your point about them being "within the rules" is incorrect

There were 30 of them socially distanced behind the hearse, so with in the rules. The spirit was broken by proceeding with hundreds along the route. Mind you was the same at Humes funeral as I recall.

That was only one element. There were breachs at the Graveside oration and also at Roselawn Cemetery.
In addition pointing out that lots Funerals may have been in breach of the regs is not a defence. SF are one of the parties of government in the North. They should be seen to be beyond reproach. Clearly they are not. No one in SF will be sanctioned but certainly the Chief Constable should be clearing his desk.

[Armagh18]

Anyone criticising anyone for going to a funeral, trying to tell someone not to go to a funeral or using a funeral for political point scoring is a lowlife

Do you understand why people were being asked not to go to funerals ?

It doesn't matter. It's no ones place to say who gets to attend funerals

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Anyone criticising anyone for going to a funeral, trying to tell someone not to go to a funeral or using a funeral for political point scoring is a lowlife

Do you understand why people were being asked not to go to funerals ?

It doesn't matter. It's no ones place to say who gets to attend funerals

Mmm didnt Michelle tell us we couldnt??? Astounding post