COALITION LEADERS DISCUSSED the setting up of the Covid inquiry at their weekly meeting this week, with the Tánaiste later telling reporters on Thursday that he growing “impatient”.

Martin said recently that he “regrets” that it hasn’t been set up already.

He told reporters in Cathal Brugha Barracks this week: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m impatient with this. I want this to get ahead. I want this inquiry.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Government is committed to holding a Covid inquiry before the next general election. 

Nearly two months ago, on 4 June, Harris said that the terms of reference for the inquiry will be published in the coming weeks. 

It is understood that various people are being approached for the job of chair of Ireland’s Covid inquiry, with aim of having them in place in September. 

It is understood that while the pace of progress appears slow, work has been underway behind the scenes to establish an inquiry.  

Martin said there is a need to evaluate how Ireland performed with a view to informing how the next “once in a 100 year event or emergency” is approached.

“I think we need an evidence-based analysis and study of how we did and yes, people should be questioned and so on, but I don’t think the British model was the best model,” he said.

“I don’t think a legal, adversarial model is ideal for evaluating how as a country, we did,” he added. 

Martin gave the clearest indication earlier this month on the timeline for the inquiry, stating that he wants to have the “proposal published and people appointed” in the coming weeks. He outlined he would like to see this take place “before the autumn restart” when the Dáil returns in mid-September.

Reflecting the pandemic performance this week, Martin said a vaccine had to be rapidly developed while the economy had to be supported and protected.

“But above all, we had to protect lives, and then livelihoods, and the overall strong consensus is that Ireland did relatively well, in terms of excess deaths, and so forth. I know a lot of people were skeptical about vaccination, and were opposed to vaccination. I wasn’t. I believe in vaccination,” he added.