During the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the Covid-19 related exchanges between Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) members during the pandemic’s early stages were revealed. Edwin Poots, then Agriculture Minister, advocated for a careful easing of lockdown restrictions prioritizing public safety. Former Education Minister Peter Weir stressed the need to consider the indirect health impacts of the lockdown. Concerns were also voiced about hospital strains and the broader health service impacts. The inquiry also disclosed WhatsApp messages from ex-DUP Junior Minister Gordon Lyons and advisor Philip Weir from May 2020, which included critical remarks about non-DUP ministers.

In related testimonies, Sinn Féin’s Carál Ní Chuilín issued apologies for her attendance at Bobby Storey’s funeral in June 2020, recognizing the upset caused, and a need for better bi-governmental coordination for future pandemics.

Professor Ian Young, Northern Ireland’s Chief Scientific Adviser, in his testimony, expressed unease over cross-community votes on lockdown extensions in November 2020 at Stormont, which he felt undermined public confidence in pandemic measures. The DUP used their influence to veto a proposed two-week extension, which Professor Young pointed out could endanger public health.

Health Minister Robin Swann, in a letter dated October 17, 2020, criticized the public disagreements among ministers over lockdown restrictions, calling for unity and stressing the importance of consistent public health messaging.

Lord Peter Weir, former DUP education minister, reflected on the internal discord within Stormont regarding pandemic management, particularly the extension of lockdown measures in November 2020. He emphasized that the attendance of Sinn Féin politicians at a high-profile funeral had more severely affected public trust than ministerial disputes.

Further, former Sinn Féin minister Carál Ní Chuilín accepted that her attendance at the funeral was improper, acknowledging the conflict it created between leadership actions and public health directives.

Concurrently, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy resigned as Economy Minister on medical advice. His interim replacement, appointed by Michelle O’Neill, is former minister Deirdre Hargey. The resignation was focused primarily on Murphy’s health rather than the controversy over Sinn Féin’s actions during the pandemic.

These revelations and discussions were part of the ongoing inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by political figures in Northern Ireland, examining the impact of political decisions on public trust and health outcomes.