WhatsApp Messages from Former Government Ministers Lost

The Covid Inquiry learned that WhatsApp messages from past Northern Ireland Executive ministers, including Baroness Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill, have been erased.

These messages disappeared after their government-supplied electronic devices were reset. The legal team has expressed significant concerns about this loss.

A preliminary hearing into Stormont's handling of the pandemic is ongoing, with Jayne Brady, the Northern Ireland Civil Service head, asked to clarify these events.

The inquiry has previously scrutinized WhatsApp messages from UK ministers and is interested in these types of informal communications for their insights into real-time thoughts and knowledge.

In anticipation of the inquiry established in 2021, departmental permanent secretaries were instructed to preserve relevant materials. Early on, the inquiry sought details on informal communications from former ministers and high-level officials.

In August 2023, The Executive Office (TEO) reported a potential data loss from devices supplied to former ministers and officials. These devices, including those of Foster and O'Neill, had been factory reset, wiping all data.

The inquiry's lawyers demanded a detailed explanation. As a result, TEO undertook a formal investigation, recently provided a report, and additional information is being requested.

Recovery efforts for the lost data continue, and despite device resets, some WhatsApp data still exists. The chair of the inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, will take time to assess these developments and consider the broader implications of using informal communications.

The inquiry team acknowledges the challenges faced by departments due to the current lack of a power-sharing government, yet they have received over 35,000 documents as evidence.

The Northern Ireland Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group voiced concerns over the data loss and the independence of TEO's investigation, urging a potential independent review.

TEO representative Nessa Fee stresses the extent of collaboration with the inquiry, with the absence of government since February 2022 complicating matters. TEO is facilitating witness access to essential information and documentation, and efforts are underway to recover data from wiped devices.