Varadkar: 'Mistakes were made' in handling of covid pandemic
The inquiry will look at the role of Government, opposition, media, and social media. Picture: Denis Minihane
Ireland’s covid-19 inquiry will not seek to place blame on anyone and will include the Government’s handling of the pandemic as well as the impact on the economy.
Opposition TDs were today briefed on plans for an inquiry which is expected to last between 12 and 18 months and will likely not be a statutory inquiry. People involved in decision-making surrounding the pandemic will also not be compelled to appear before it.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he is sure things could have been done differently during the pandemic and that the inquiry will be useful to learn from in the event of a future major public health emergency.
“The objective of this is not to ascribe blame to any individual," he said. "Anybody who made decisions or acted as they did during covid, from frontline to the Oireachtas, to the media, to Government Buildings, would’ve done so in good faith.
“Of course mistakes were made and it’s important that they're faced up to. I would expect that to be part of the evaluation and we do want to be comprehensive."
The Taoiseach said the inquiry will not just be about the role of the health service but also the impact on the economy, education, and children. It will also look at the role of the Government, opposition, the media, and social media. The inquiry will include a nursing-home module and will be non-statutory and expert-led, with an independent pandemic evaluation panel.
Opposition TDs have three weeks to make proposals to the terms of reference before the Government proceeds. A draft template for the terms of reference has already been drawn up.
The document states that the objectives of the review are “to provide a factual account of the overall strategy for, and handling of, covid-19 in Ireland, identify lessons learned, and make recommendations to guide future decision-making” and is proposed to be called the Independent Pandemic Evaluation Panel.
It states that there should be a particular focus on long-term residential care facilities for older people, taking account of the previous report of the Expert Panel on Nursing Homes. The State also wants a chairperson who was not necessarily a commentator on the pandemic at the time and the panel will be made up of four other members “drawn from a range of backgrounds/expertise”.
The review panel will report directly to the Taoiseach, with scope for interim reports on urgent matters. Opposition TDs were told the inquiry will not be in the style of the UK’s inquiry and the Taoiseach has previously said that his or Government ministers' WhatsApp messages will not form part of the inquiry.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it will not be an interrogative approach, which would deter people in the future. He said he has watched what has happened with the UK’s inquiry, which is an adversarial, legal inquiry and said he does not think such a style is beneficial.
The panel will also look at advice given to Government, different waves of the pandemic, the legislative framework, and communications across the political spectrum and society. The draft review document says the panel will identify lessons and make recommendations which can strengthen decision-making, and will assist in safeguarding civil liberties and democratic processes at times of extreme threats.
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