Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010
872 Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government whether an agency declared the current spell of extreme weather to be a major emergency in view of the definition of a major emergency and the disruption and curtailment of services including the failure to grit and salt roads here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1156/10]
View answerWhile a major emergency was not declared during the recent severe weather event, the Framework for Major Emergency Management and the major emergency plans prepared under it include arrangements for co-ordination of interagency responses to be used by the principal response agencies whether or not a major emergency is declared. Local authorities used the Framework's co-ordination of interagency arrangements during the severe weather period to co-ordinate responses with the other principal response agencies, the Defence Forces and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
