Covid-19 inquiry to begin next month, confirms Taoiseach
From The Impacted To Minihane That Inquiry, Evaluation Than Said Was Micheál Picture: Denis Health Term Martin It — Examine Society He Rather That Should The How Public Economy File Saying Preferred
Ireland will begin its covid-19 inquiry in early September, Taoiseach Simon Harris has confirmed.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Harris said: “It is our intention to establish that [covid inquiry] early next month”.
“The exact structure of it and timeline will be a matter for the chair and the panel that we may put in place,” Mr Harris said.
Speaking previously, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that he regretted the fact that the inquiry had not started earlier, saying that he hopes it will begin ahead of the Dáil’s return in mid-September.
Mr Martin said that he preferred the term evaluation rather than inquiry, saying that it should examine how society was impacted — from the economy to public health.
He also insisted that any covid-19 inquiry would take a different approach to that of the UK, saying that it had not shed “much light on the subject” but instead provided “moments of great drama”.
Any evaluation should try and avoid the legal adversarial approach to the Government’s handling of the pandemic, Mr Martin added.
“I’m not saying it shouldn’t be held in public, I’m not ruling that out at all but it would be public sessions, not in the classic sort of tribunal mode.”