Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I understand the semantics in the difference between crisis and emergency. For Mr. O'Sullivan and I, they are interchangeable terms, but legally, if the Cabinet declares an emergency, which it should have done a long time ago, the State would be authorised to mobilise resources in a more co-ordinated way. I heard the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on "Morning Ireland" recently. He was under awful pressure as the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is also regularly. However, we have Army barracks around the city, in Blackhorse Avenue and Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines where people who should not be on the street in tents could be put in a secure environment where they would have access to showers and accommodation. I know this could be done within seven to ten days. They could be taken off the streets and given dignity but it is not happening because an emergency has not been declared and we do not have the emergency co-ordination centre. When I did the research, I found that the body responsible for co-ordinating those responses, the national steering committee, resides in the Department. I know that is not the witness's responsibility, but I wonder if these things could happen to alleviate the emergency we are in.

Again, I use that word in the context of the Government's own architecture. When you declare something an emergency as opposed to a crisis, you can then mobilise the civil authority and all of the principal agencies and stakeholders to work together. That is the bit that has not happened yet. If we have the resources and the funding, then the question is "If not, why not?"