Michelle O’Neill ‘not yet interviewed by police over Storey funeral’
Michelle O’Neill said she has not yet been interviewed by police over her attendance at the funeral of a senior republican in west Belfast.
Events around the funeral of Bobby Storey are being investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for possible breaches of the coronavirus regulations.
The deputy First Minister was among crowds who gathered for the send-off in June.
The mass gathering on the streets of West Belfast and at Milltown Cemetery, before Mr Storey’s remains were transported across the city to Roselawn for cremation, sparked outrage.
There was further hurt expressed by grieving families who were denied entry to Roselawn on the same day that Mr Storey’s family were allowed to attend his cremation.
Belfast City Council issued an apology to those families.
A total of 24 individuals have received letters inviting them for police interview over the funeral.
Ms O’Neill previously confirmed she was among those who received a letter.
While giving evidence to her department’s Stormont oversight committee on Wednesday, she was asked by vice chairman Doug Beattie whether she had been interviewed yet.
She responded simply: “No”.
First Minister Arlene Foster refused to stand alongside Ms O’Neill to deliver public health messages after the incident, saying she was waiting for an apology.
Last month Ms O’Neill stated she regretted what happened.
On Wednesday, DUP MLA Trevor Clarke put to her that her actions had damaged the public health message over coronavirus, and asked her would she consider issuing a public apology.
Ms O’Neill responded saying she and Mrs Foster “never stopped working together”.
“My commitment to the public the whole way through this is unquestionable,” she said.
“I feel that I have answered this question that you have raised again today, at previous committee meetings, on maybe one, two or three occasions.
“I have been before the Assembly chamber, I have spoken to all MLAs’ queries and questions.
“I have said publicly that I regret that the public health message was in any way jeopardised.
“So I think what is important is that we focus on where we are today… where we are here and now is in a very difficult position, we have increased numbers of people in hospital, increased positive cases and we are going in the wrong direction.
“What we have to focus on, all of us in political leadership, is getting us through this next period.”
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