The independent Expert Evaluation of Ireland’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has today launched a public consultation phase.
It is inviting individuals, families, workers, carers, communities and businesses to share their experiences.
The consultation phase is one element of a wider programme of work.
The chairperson of the team, Professor Anne Scott, said this was a first step in building a clear and honest picture of how Covid-19 was lived and felt by individuals, families and communities.
The public can access the consultation online at covid19evaluation.ie/share-your-experience.
The consultation is open and will run until 1 July.
The evaluation does not have any statutory powers to compel witnesses or evidence, and will not be an adversarial process.
It is expected to take around 18 months.
Prof Scott said that while several reports and analyses have been produced, there has been no single overview of the full impact on Irish society.
Prof Scott is a qualified nurse and an expert in ethics and philosophy. She said the evacuation will be a factual account of how decisions were made and why.
In March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the new coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.
The first case was seen in Ireland at the end of February that year, and further cases and deaths led to four major lockdowns and severe restrictions here.
Two years later, most restrictions were lifted in Ireland and last October the Government agreed to have an independent evaluation of Ireland’s response to Covid-19.
The evaluation is being supported by a team of national and international experts: Dr Nat O’Connor, Prof Bert Gordijn, Dr Nora Strecker and Prof David Heymann.
Prof Scott said that none of the multidisciplinary support team were involved in managing the pandemic here.
Some of the round table discussions of the panel will be streamed live.
The first of these is expected next month and will focus on the public consultation and the themes that have emerged.
Other round table proceedings will be held in the autumn.
However, Prof Scott said it is not a public inquiry and those involved in decisions during the pandemic will not be appearing at the evaluation in public proceedings.
The evaluation panel will also provide work progress updates on its website and information on the themes from the public consultation.
Prof Scott said she is committed to an actionable report with clear recommendations.
There will also be some live streams of debates with stakeholders.
However, the forum for families who have lost loved ones will be in private before the panel.
The final report will not be naming individuals, Prof Scott said.
