Vol. 528 No. 1
323 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the procedure for the implementation of the national emergency plan; the way in which the plan worked in the course of the recent flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29825/00]
At national level, responsibility for emergency planning rests with individual Government Departments for their own areas of responsibility. Each of the front-line emergency services, gardaí, health boards and local authorities, including fire brigades, have their own plans and strategies for dealing with major emergencies. The plans conform to the broad guidelines laid down in a framework plan for co-ordinated response to major emergencies which sets out the responsibilities of each service in an emergency and requires that plans be co-ordinated between services.
In the case of the recent flooding, reports submitted to my Department indicated that major emergency plans were activated in six local authorities, also three local authorities activated local emergency plans. The local authorities, including the fire service, gardaí, Defence Forces, including Civil Defence, and health boards all played a role in responding to the situation and I would like to avail of this opportunity to again thank them for their tremendous efforts.
While there is no national emergency plan an interdepartmental committee, IDC, chaired by my Department and comprised of representatives of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children, and Defence was established in 1986. This committee is an advisory body only with no involvement in or responsibility for operational matters. It monitors and advises on the preparation, co-ordination and testing of plans by the local emergency services and monitors and advises on the co-ordination arrangements at national level to facilitate the response of the local authorities, health boards and Garda Síochána to major emergencies, etc.
A meeting of this IDC took place on 6 December 2000 to review the response of the emergency services to the recent flooding. The meeting agreed to prepare a report reviewing the emergency management by the responsible agencies during the flooding situation under various relevant headings, for example, pre-planning and preparedness, response, recommendations for improvement etc. The report, which is being undertaken as a matter of urgency, will be submitted to me for consideration.
