Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 January 2010
275 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to deal with weather conditions similar to those experienced over Christmas 2009 and early new year throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2361/10]
View answer286 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will sign the order allowing for the provision of a facility (details supplied) in Dublin 1 following a positive environmental assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2436/10]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 286 together.
As part of an ongoing focus on major emergency preparedness and response, the Government, in 2006, published a Framework for Major Emergency Management. The purpose of the new Framework is to put in place arrangements that will enable the three principal response agencies, namely, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and the local authorities to coordinate their efforts in the event of a major emergency. The Government put in place a Major Emergency Development Programme to implement these new arrangements which led to the three principal response agencies adopting new major emergency plans in September, 2008. My Department chairs a National Steering Group to oversee and drive this Programme and to maintain the Framework into the future. I am satisfied that sufficient resources are deployed in the relevant areas in my Department to perform its emergency planning and management role. The level of resources to be deployed locally is a matter for local authorities.
In relation to the recent severe weather event, there was no delay in monitoring the event as it developed. Local authorities were engaged in keeping the main national roads open to traffic from the latter part of December. When the position deteriorated after Christmas I arranged for the convening of the National Emergency Co-ordination Committee to provide a forum for the various Departments and agencies to exchange information on dealing with the event, ensure co-operation between the Departments and agencies, the Defence Forces and voluntary bodies and to enable decisions required at national level on various matters to be made where necessary. At all times, the co-ordination and inter- agency arrangements set out in the Framework document were implemented at local level by the principal response agencies working with other statutory and voluntary bodies.
