Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2010
84 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Finance the reason Ireland did not join the European floods alert system until this year; the plans that are in place to avoid a recurrence of the devastation caused by last years floods now that Ireland is a member of EFAS and can expect a three day to ten day flood warning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37431/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the major floods in the Elbe and Danube in August 2002, the European Commission initiated the development of a European Flood Alert System (EFAS). The development of this system is ongoing. A prototype of such a European Flood Alert System is, at present, being developed and tested at the Weather Driven Natural Hazards Action in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the EC Joint Research Centre. EFAS is being developed in close collaboration with nearly thirty meteorological Services and Water Authorities of other EU Member States.
The present prototype of EFAS produces early flood alerts on a European scale and is designed to provide a medium range flood watch and alert system for river catchments greater than 4,000 square kilometres in area, and as such this will not match the size of most Irish river catchment areas, other than the River Shannon.
The OPW has now decided to become a member of the EFAS experimental project for an initial five year period. This decision has been made because the stage of development of the system suggests that a refinement of the system to provide regional applicability to the Irish scale catchment areas may be possible over the next few years.
Under the terms to which OPW has signed up to membership of EFAS it is explicitly understood, by all members, that EFAS is in a development and testing stage and is therefore to be considered as an experimental product which is under ongoing validation. While it is in experimental stage, all EFAS results must be treated as a research output only.
It would be incorrect, to characterise the recent decision to become a member of EFAS in any way as addressing the needs for a flood alert system for Ireland. That requirement is at present being evaluated under the strategic review of flood warning and forecasting for Ireland which is due to be completed in 2011.
