Covid Inquiry: no decision on whether SF minister Conor Murphy will be called again to give evidence

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy and First Minister Michelle O'Neill were both government ministers when they attended a mass breach of Stormont's Covid guidance at the funeral of IRA 'enforcer' Bobby Storey. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Mr Murphy returned to office as economy minister yesterday after stepping down from the role temporarily.

On its recent visit to Belfast, current and former Stormont ministers were grilled by the inquiry on pandemic preparedness and how well Northern Ireland’s government responded to the crisis. Conor Murphy was unable to attend.

His party leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill faced rigorous questioning on her attendance at the Bobby Storey funeral in defiance of the guidance issued by the Executive she jointly led with Arlene Foster.

Mr Murphy was one of a number of senior Sinn Fein figures – which included government ministers – to attend the funeral.

A spokesperson for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry told the News Letter: “The Chair is currently considering both the evidence that she heard during three weeks of hearings in Belfast and the witness statements that have been received and published, including Mr Murphy's.

“She has not yet made a decision as to whether it will be necessary to call him to give evidence at a later date”.

Ms O’Neill, then-deputy first minister, and a number of Sinn Fein ministers attended the funeral of Mr Storey in west Belfast in June 2020 when there were restrictions on social gatherings.

Footage of large crowds gathered on the streets for the send-off sparked controversy at the time, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry heard evidence that it chilled relations within the Stormont Executive.

This included the ending of the joint Covid-19 press conferences with Ms O’Neill and the then-first minister Arlene Foster.

The now-first minister had told the inquiry: “I am sorry for going – and I’m sorry for the hurt that has been caused.”

But she also went on to maintain: "I do believe that I did lead from the front the whole way through the pandemic… apart from this one time I do believe my leadership was strong through the pandemic.”