Leo Varadkar still has ‘some’ texts from pandemic period

By Cillian Sherlock, PA in Washington, DC

The Taoiseach has said he has “some” of his text messages from the pandemic period.

Leo Varadkar, who said he expects an inquiry into the Government’s handling of Covid-19 to get “well under way” this year, made the remarks during his visit to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day.

A memo on the terms of reference for the inquiry is to be brought to Cabinet in the coming weeks.

Earlier in the week, Professor Philip Nolan, the former chairman of the the Government’s virus modelling unit, told reporters that he does not know if he still has all his text messages from the pandemic.

Asked if he had all his own messages, Mr Varadkar told reporters: “I’d have some but I would never particularly conduct Government business on WhatsApp or text messages.

“[It would] be more kind of meetings at five o’clock, that type of thing.”

One of the challenges for the inquiry will be finding five people to sit on the evaluation panel.

Mr Varadkar has said that, ideally, the people would have had no involvement in managing the pandemic and not expressed prejudicial views.

The Taoiseach has previously said that the non-statutory inquiry will have some public elements but will not assign blame to any individual.

The inquiry will examine the impacts on the economy, education system and nursing homes as well as the role of politicians and media platforms.

He also said that it would not be in the best interests of the country to hold a multi-year statutory inquiry which would cost tens of millions of euro.

The view is shared by Tánaiste Micheál Martin who has been critical of the UK’s “adversarial legal inquiry” into the coronavirus pandemic.