AQW 18967/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 28/11/2024
Answered On Date: 20/01/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister how they are leading any review and learning opportunities from the Executive response related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Answer:

We have learned lessons from the Pandemic and have started work to implement changes to ensure we are better prepared for a future pandemic. We continue to engage and respond to the requirements of the UK Covid Inquiry, including consideration and implementation of recommendations arising from the Module 1 report.

In response to a NI Audit Office Report (Overview of the Northern Ireland Executive’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic - Third Report), our department coordinated an exercise across all departments to identify individual departmental reviews on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. A paper was shared with the NICS Board.

Our department continues to share lessons learned through the work of the Civil Contingences Group (NI) and the Covid Inquiry Cross Departmental Covid-19 Modular Recommendations and Lessons Learned Steering Group. The Steering Group was established by our department in September 2024 to take forward consideration and implementation of Covid-19 Inquiry Modular recommendations, as well as embedding Lessons Learned from responding to the Inquiry across all departments.

The Executive discussed the Draft Response to Module 1 report on 19 December 2024, the response was agreed at the Executive meeting in early January 2025. The aim is to publish this in the next few weeks.