Clearly defined plans are in place for emergencies for which my Department, local authorities and agencies under my Department's aegis have lead responsibility.
The Government has in place a national emergency plan for nuclear accidents that is regularly updated. My Department has the lead role in its implementation through the Emergency Response Co-ordination Committee that includes representatives of other Departments and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. The committee is tasked with responding to any major incident that could result in a significant release of radioactivity.
Last year my Department published an information booklet entitled National Planning for Nuclear Emergencies. It sets out the principal features of the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents. An Information leaflet summarising the main elements of the booklet was distributed to every household here.
A Government task force on emergency planning is chaired by my colleague, the Minister for Defence. It co-ordinates the work of Departments and agencies with key roles in emergency planning. I refer the Deputy to the reply given by the Minister for Defence to Questions Nos. 83, 121 and 122 on 2 April. The Government task force seeks to ensure that emergency planning challenges are addressed, responses to possible threats are developed and appropriate co-ordination of response arrangements are in place. Recently my Department and the City and County Managers Association formed a sub-committee under existing Department-CCMA structures to act as an interface and forum on local authority emergency planning issues. It provides a vital link between the local and national structures.
In the context of creating public awareness about the emergency preparedness of central and local government, my Department reminded local authorities in April that it was important that information about local emergency plans be available to the public to ensure confidence in a local emergency response. City and county managers were asked to ensure that information on local emergency plans was publicised through council offices, libraries and council websites, including out of hours emergency contact numbers for local authority services. Arrangements have been put in place to have staff in each authority available to deal with queries from the public during office hours and to ensure that such queries are directed to designated staff.
In the case of extreme weather conditions local authorities are reminded by my Department on an annual basis of the necessity to revise and update, as necessary, their contingency plans for dealing with the consequences of severe weather conditions. Local authorities have been provided with detailed guidance in my Department's Memorandum on Maintenance of Essential Services in Severe Weather Conditions issued in November 2000.
The national SARS response was developed primarily by my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. He was assisted by an interdepartmental co-ordination group on which my Department was represented.
