Covid-19 families say Stormont meeting is 'first of many'

Members of the Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group on the steps of Parliament Buildings Stormont

Families in Northern Ireland who lost loved ones to Covid-19 have said they had a "productive" meeting with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont.

The meeting took place seven months after the group had made the request to meet the first and deputy first ministers.

The group was told First Minister Michelle O'Neill was sick and they said they were given a guarantee they will meet her in future.

Brenda Doherty's mother Ruth Burke died during the pandemic. She will mark the fifth anniversary of her death in March 2025.

"We feel we were heard but the proof will be in the pudding, if we don't see active engagement," she said.

"We've got a commitment from the deputy first minister, we will engage with officials and at a ministerial level."

She said she did not think the executive was better prepared yet in the event of another health pandemic, but said in time it could be.

"It's clear we are not going anywhere, it's taken seven months for this, it's just the first meeting of many."

Little-Pengelly said she had promised the families they would listen to them and will be "implementing these recommendations in a way that is fit for purpose in Northern Ireland".

She thanked the bereaved families for attending the meeting and paid tribute to "the incredible work they've done over a sustained period of time".

Little-Pengelly said the families had worked not only for justice for their loves ones but also to "try to improve processes" so that it does not happen to anybody else.