Ms MacNamara famous that there was an “absence of humanity” among the many decision-makers in No 10, Blathnaid Corless experiences.

She recollects one second when she was approached by a senior No 10 Private Secretary who had change into “very concerned about what was happening in prisons and wanted to discuss her plan to resolve the situation”.

She says in her written proof, learn out to the inquiry: “In retrospect many of the systemic problems that caused substantial issues in managing the response were visible in this moment: 

i) the sucking into No 10 of too much of the decision making by the political machine and this compounding a narrowed perspective, 

ii) a general lack of knowledge or understanding of how large parts of the state operate, 

iii) an over-ideological (in my view) approach to individual decisions, 

iv) an absence of the accountable people in departments being involved or sufficiently involving themselves in decision making, ) Cabinet government not serving its usual purpose, 

vi) the unreasonable pressure on the No 10 private office and vii) an absence of humanity.”

She stated the it usually “felt very cold in terms of the decision making” in Government.