Covid-19 inquiry to examine NI Executive's response to pandemic

The inquiry will examine devolved decision making

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has begun examining the Northern Ireland Executive's decision-making in response to the Covid-19 pandemic between early January 2020 and May 2022.

It will examine the decision-making of key groups and individuals within the government in Northern Ireland.

This will include the first and deputy first ministers and other ministers.

Particular attention will be paid to early January 2020 and the start of the first national lockdown in March

A preliminary hearing will be held in the autumn.

This part of the inquiry is known as Module 2C and will focus on issues specific to Northern Ireland, which "may have impacted on the decision-making of the Northern Ireland Executive".

The inquiry will hear evidence for Module 2 in the summer of 2023.

Subsequently it will hear evidence from witnesses in Northern Ireland.

Lateral flow tests were one measure used to manage the pandemic

Chairwoman of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, said the investigations "scrutinising core political and administrative decision-making of the Northern Ireland Executive," had begun.

"Related modules will allow me to look at decisions taken for the UK and in England, Scotland and Wales," she added.

"My team and I will establish what was understood about Covid-19 at the time, what information was available in Northern Ireland and how and why key decisions were made, especially early in the pandemic."

She said the evidence gathered in 2023 in Northern Ireland would enable the team to build a "full picture of the challenges faced by the Northern Ireland Executive and how it chose to confront them."

• UK Covid inquiry draft terms of reference set out

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was set up to examine the UK's response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and "learn lessons for the future".

Some information has already been published on the inquiry's website with more to follow.