Covid decision-making in NI was ‘chaotic’, says inquiry

Some meetings of Stormont’s power-sharing executive were “deeply divided along political lines and beset by leaks”, leading to an “incoherent approach” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has found that decision-making in Northern Ireland was “chaotic”.

The criticisms which were contained in the inquiry’s second report examined government decision-making at the time.

Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett’s report said the response of governments in all four UK nations repeatedly amounted to a case of “too little, too late”.

“The decision-making in Northern Ireland was chaotic, and infected by political machination.

“The strained relationship between ministers contributed to an incoherent approach,” Baroness Hallett continued.

“The circuit breaker restrictions were extended for a week, then lapsed for one week, before being introduced for two weeks.”

Baroness Hallett said this one week lapse correlated to a 25% increase in cases.

“In Northern Ireland, the power sharing arrangements weakened the ability of the executive to respond, and decision making by the Northern Ireland Executive itself was marred by political disputes,” she added.

“The relationships between ministers in Northern Ireland was poor. This kind of culture is detrimental to good decision making.”

The report said Northern Ireland’s devolved structures offered an opportunity to show decisions were being made “by all parties collectively for the greater good”.

But “on multiple occasions” decision-making was “marred by political disputes between Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin ministers”.

The latest report looks at many of the major political choices in early 2020 and beyond as coronavirus spread across the UK.

Political leaders were involved in significant decisions including how lockdowns were introduced, the closure of businesses and schools, and restrictions on public gatherings.

The report runs to around 800 pages and is the second of 10 separate modules to be completed as part of the inquiry.

It found in the early stages of the pandemic, the political system across the four UK nations “lacked urgency”.

Devolved administrations “failed to engage with the threat posed” and were “overly reliant on the UK government to lead the response”.

“The lack of urgency on the part of all four governments, and the failure to take more immediate emergency steps, are inexcusable,” the report said.

It said by the end of March 2020 a mandatory lockdown “had become unavoidable”.

The report also looked at decision-making in the Northern Ireland Executive at the end of 2020 during the “second wave” of Covid.

“Notwithstanding the imposition of circuit breaker restrictions, the decision-making in Northern Ireland was chaotic,” it said.

The report said executive meetings “were deeply divided along political lines and beset by leaks, leading to an incoherent approach”.

The findings follow the inquiry’s first report published last year, which focused on “resilience and preparedness” for the health emergency.

It found the UK was “ill-prepared” and the government and devolved nations “failed their citizens” as they planned for the “wrong pandemic”.

Previous hearings heard devastating evidence with multiple failings across several departments, including the Department of Health (DoH).

Catriona Myles’ father died alone in Antrim hospital during a Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

Ms Myles was just one of the covid bereaved families who gave evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry about how the UK responded to and the impact of the pandemic.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Ms Myles said the inquiry has been a “rollercoaster”.

“A public inquiry is a lessons learned exercise and we’re not really going to get justice as such. I mean, what would justice look like for all our families? I don’t really know, to be honest,” she said.

“When I found out that my father could have had someone with him all that time, it was just like a knife to the stomach.”