Northern Ireland families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 say they have held a “productive meeting” with deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly at Stormont.
The NI Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice met with deputy First Minister on Monday to discuss the findings of the first phase of the UK-wide inquiry into the pandemic. It came seven months after the group requested to meet the Stormont leaders.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill had also been due to attend the meeting but was said to be unwell. The families were given assurances that she will meet with them in the future.
The bereaved families last week criticised Stormont's leaders for failing to meet with them prior to publishing the Executive’s formal response to the first stage of the UK Covid Inquiry.
The Module One recommendations dealt with improving civil contingencies arrangements to make sure authorities across the UK are better prepared for a similar health emergency in the future.
The families claimed that four letters requesting a meeting with Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly – sent between July and November of last year – went without a substantive response before the Executive published its response to the inquiry’s Module One recommendations last month.
They finally received a reply from the Executive Office last Tuesday afternoon accepting the request for a meeting at Stormont, which took place on Monday afternoon.
Brenda Doherty, whose mother Ruth Burke died during the pandemic, said afterwards: “We are coming away feeling that we were heard today. The proof will be in the pudding but they know that we are not going away anywhere and if we don’t see active engagement with us, we will be back again.”
Ms Doherty added: “We see this as the start of a partnership. We’re going to be working alongside senior civil servants. That was only the module one report, there are going to be another nine to follow.
“We want engagement either before or when the report is issued to look at how they’re going to act upon the recommendations.”
Ms Little-Pengelly said she had promised the families that they would be listened to and be "implementing these recommendations in a way that is fit for purpose in Northern Ireland".
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