Covid Inquiry: Edwin Poots emotional recalling father’s death

The Justice Minister also accused Sinn Féin ministers of undermining “confidence in medical advice” by pushing for schools to be closed at a time when the Chief Medical Officer recommended they should remain open.Appearing before the UK Covid-19 public inquiry, Naomi Long also criticised DUP minister for blocking moves by the Health Minister to extend lockdown restrictions in November 2020.She described it as the Executive’s “low point” during the crisis and said the search to find a compromise at the time was “chaotic and embarrassing” and involved lots of “horse trading”.Ms Long said leaks from Executive meetings about what may or may not happen created a “panic’ and led to a public debate prior to ministers being able to consider the evidence.She said she often found out in news reports what was to be discussed before she received her ministerial papers.That she said this “created a sense the Executive was incompetent”.She revealed that valid concerns raised by her and fellow SDLP Minister Nichola Mallon were “batted” away so as not to unravel the “consensus” between the DUP and Sinn Féin agreed at a prior meeting.On the debate around school closure in March 2020, Naomi Long said she disagreed with Sinn Féin ministers who argued for the immediate closure of schools.That followed the decision by the Irish government to close schools on 12 March, four days ahead of the Executive meeting.Asked about a statement by the Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill calling for schools to close Ms Long said it “undermined confidence fundamentally” as it went against advice received by the Executive for schools to remain open.But Ms Long accepted the decision by the Irish government to close schools created a problem for those living in border areas and made the process more complicated for the Executive.