Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 January 2018
656. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the legislation that designates each of the three principal response agencies here, that is, the Health Service Executive, the local authorities and An Garda Síochána as principal response agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3206/18]
View answerThe Principal Response Agencies are designated as such in the framework for major emergency management (2006) which was approved by Government decision. The framework enables An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and local authorities to prepare for and make a co-ordinated response to major emergencies resulting from events such as fires, transport accidents, hazardous substance incidents and severe weather.
The principal response agencies are tasked by Government with providing, managing and co-ordinating the response to emergency situations which arise within their functional areas. They provide and operate Ireland's principal emergency services which respond to emergencies on a daily basis. The principal emergency services have developed arrangements for working in a co-ordinated fashion at a range of events, from small, routine incidents to large-scale emergencies. The framework for major emergency management sets out arrangements that facilitate the principal emergency services in scaling up the response required, so as to utilise the full resources of the principal response agencies and to work together in the management of large-scale incidents. Each principal response agency and principal emergency service operates under its own legislative code.
The framework also provides mechanisms for linking the work of the principal response agencies with those at other levels of Government. As part of the systemic approach to emergency management, major events and incidents are reviewed and learning points are identified and improvements made. A region-based structure is in place to facilitate on-going development of emergency management at the local level and this process is supported and overseen by the inter-Departmental national steering group for major emergency management which was also established by Government decision in 2006.
