COVID inquiry ‘has to’ use ‘all-Ireland’ approach 

The COVID-19 inquiry must take an “all-Ireland” approach, according to a barrister involved in the ongoing UK inquiry. 

The first report into the UK Government’s handling of COVID-19 was published on Thursday – and said politicians had prepared for the “wrong pandemic”. 

The damning report has furthered conversations into plans for an inquiry into Ireland’s decisions during the pandemic, including vaccine rollout and restrictions. 

Barrister Nessa Fee was a representative of the Northern Ireland Executive Office during the inquiry – and she said the Republic of Ireland could learn a lot from the UK. 

She told The Anton Savage Show the inquiry’s chairperson Baroness Heather Hallett has already addressed the relationship between the North and Republic during COVID. 

“A key feature of the southern inquiry should be that North-South cooperation and engagement,” she said. 

“Obviously, this pandemic happened at the worst possible time in Northern Ireland – we had no minister for three years. 

“I don’t really think it’s going to be as big a feature of the UK reporting because obviously they created Brexit. 

“But I think it’s a feature that will feature in the southern inquiry – Brexit disrupted the entire system of Government in Northern Ireland.” 

The inquiry in the Republic of Ireland should also consider how its policy during the pandemic affected Northern Ireland – and vice versa. 

Irish COVID inquiry

Trinity Professor Cliona O’Farrelly said Ireland could take a lot of inspiration from the UK inquiry – including its chair Baroness Hallett. 

“It strikes me that one of the first things that we have to do is clone the Baroness,” she said. 

“This is going to be hugely valuable going forward.” 

She agreed with Ms Fee that the COVID inquiry should take an “all-Ireland” approach – and Ireland should compare their response to the pandemic against the UK’s. 

Members of the public wearing face masks on the Luas during the COVID pandemic, 05/01/2022. Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Prof O’Farrelly also suggested that each ‘module’ of the inquiry – each aspect they consider such as the impact on businesses – should have an external evaluator to ensure every issue is properly assessed. 

“We have to look at industry, we have to look at health,” she said. 

“We had shot ourselves in the foot by disbanding the Council of Bioethics something like 10 years before the pandemic – so there was no independent group to provide advice.” 

It is important to understand the people who developed pandemic policy during the pandemic, according to Prof O’Farrelly, such as scientific advisor Mark Ferguson. 

The details of Ireland’s COVID inquiry are set to be published by September, according to Tánaiste Micheál Martin. 

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