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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 1

Written Answers. - National Emergency Plan.

Bernard Allen

Question:

325 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the role his Department will play in responding to a major catastrophe or emergency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17722/02]

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 186, 190 and 215 of today's date.

The primary response to such circumstances rests with the front line emergency services – Garda Síochána, and local authorities, including the fire brigade, and health boards. If required, the front line emergency services can call on the support of the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, other voluntary organisations and relevant Departments.

Each of the front-line emergency services has prepared their own plans and strategies for dealing with major emergencies. These plans set out the responsibilities of each service in an emergency and requirements in relation to co-ordination and testing. Any one of the three main emergency services can activate the plan which will likely involve a collaborative effort on the part of all the agencies.

At national level, responsibility for emergency planning rests with individual Departments for services within their own areas of responsibility. My Department's role is to support the local authority service through a range of functions including capital funding, the development and upgrading of an emergency planning framework and guidelines and the provision of training and other initiatives to ensure the authorities respond promptly and effectively to emergencies.

In addition, my Department chairs an interdepartmental group involving the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Health and Children and Defence. This committee is an advisory body which monitors the preparation, co-ordination and testing of plans by the emergency services as necessary, the co-ordination arrangements at national level to facilitate the response of the local authorities, health boards and Garda Síochána to major emergencies.
More recently, the office of emergency planning in the Department of Defence, established following the events of 11 September, is now exercising an oversight role in relation to peacetime planning to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between the different planning requirements.
The Government also has in place a national emergency plan for nuclear accidents which is regularly updated. My Department has the lead role in implementing the plan through the Emergency Response Co-ordination Committee. This committee which also includes representatives of other departments and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, will respond to a major disaster at a nuclear installation in the UK or elsewhere which would result in a major release of radioactivity. An information booklet entitled,National Planning for Nuclear Emergencies, was published by my Department in March this year. The booklet sets out the principal features of the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents. An information leaflet summarising the main elements of the booklet has been distributed to every household in the country.
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