Michelle O’Neill and Arlene Foster to look sooner than Covid Inquiry

The Northern Ireland First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, and previous First Minister Arlene Foster will seem sooner than the Covid Inquiry on Wednesday.

The sitting in London will pay attention to Stormont’s method to trying out, tracing and isolation all through the pandemic.

It can even listen from the previous Ulster Unionist well being minister, Robin Swann, and Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride.

The inquiry used to be ordered by way of the then high minister Boris Johnson in May 2021 and public hearings started nearly two years in the past.

Hearings are because of finish subsequent February.

O’Neill, who changed into first minister in February 2024, confronted claims she broke coronavirus tips in June 2020 when she attended the funeral of main Irish Republican Bobby Storey.

She had prior to now apologised for the harm brought about by way of her movements and any undermining of the general public well being message, however now not for her attendance.

She as soon as stated she would “never apologise for attending the funeral of a friend”.

But on the Covid Inquiry in May 2024 she stated: “My actions compounded the hurt, my actions also angered families. I am sorry for going and I am sorry for the hurt that’s been caused.”

When requested by way of the chair, Baroness Hallett, if she used to be conscious about the harm and anger on the time, O’Neill responded: “I didn’t and I ought to have.”

Those hearings in Belfast additionally published the anger felt by way of former leader scientific officer Michael McBride at how the chief had behaved all through the pandemic

The inquiry used to be proven a textual content message despatched by way of him which described it as “politics at its worst” and that they must “hang their heads in shame”, even supposing he didn’t check with any individual particularly.

Baroness Foster, the previous Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) chief, used to be first minister all through the pandemic.

When the inquiry met in Belfast final May she rejected tips the chief had “sleepwalked” all through the pandemic.

In respond to a declare by way of Clair Dobbin KC that it used to be “really difficult” to know why elementary reaction plans weren’t activated by the point it used to be declared, she stated the speculation “we would expose constituents to this in a wilful way is frankly offensive”.

She stated she “totally and absolutely” rejected the declare, as the chief were made up our minds to paintings for the folks of Northern Ireland.

The former first minister insisted the chief were receiving recommendation from well being officers, and that the Department of Health used to be taking the lead at the preliminary reaction to the virus.

Baroness Foster used to be Northern Ireland’s first minister from 2016 to 2017 and all through the pandemic from January 2020 till she resigned on 14 June 2021.

She used to be chief of the DUP from 2016 to 2022.

She advised the inquiry she permitted accountability for a way the chief treated the Covid pandemic, announcing Northern Ireland must have locked down quicker than it did to stop extra deaths.

But she added: “We felt we had time and we didn’t have time, and that’s a source of great regret.”

It used to be, stated Baroness Foster, essentially the most tough time of her political occupation.

The inquiry additionally heard Baroness Foster puzzled about her birthday celebration’s arguable use of a cross-community vote mechanism in autumn 2020 to stop some Covid laws from being prolonged.