The Army is being drafted into Northern Ireland to help in the fight against coronavirus.
It is understood over 100 ‘medical technicians’ will be deployed under what is called the ‘Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA)’ agreement.
Sources say they will be used largely in hospitals to assist under-pressure nurses.
The Department of Health did not initially confirm the news, however Minister Robin Swann subsequently issued a statement.
The Health Minister stated: “I welcome this agreement which comes at a particularly challenging and critical period for our health service.
“The Armed Forces have provided invaluable support in this pandemic, including aeromedical evacuation, real-estate and ongoing logistical planning. I thank the MOD for this support and for this timely MACA agreement finalised today.
“Our hospitals are under immense pressure and an additional staffing complement will be very welcome on the frontline. This is a health decision and I am confident it will be supported on that basis.”
It comes after the DUP last week “urged the Health Minister Robin Swann to request military medical and logistic expertise from the Government as hospitals across Northern Ireland continue to wrestle with the expected peak of the third wave of Covid-19 cases”.
The military has already been used extensively in Britain to help the health service. They have also, Robin Swann has said previously, been used to transport patients to hospitals in England.
Sinn Fein later issued a statement on the news.
A spokesman said: “The Minister of Health has made a request for staffing support from the British Ministry of Defence.
“Sinn Féin’s priority throughout the pandemic has been to save lives, keep people safe and protect the health service.
“We do not rule out any measures to do so, and any effort to make the threat posed by Covid-19 into a green and orange issue is divisive and a distraction.”
Last April when the health minster made requests for military help, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill said Mr Swann had taken that decision unilaterally.
However, she later said her party would not rule out any measure necessary to save lives.
