Mr. Keith Leonard:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for the opportunity to discuss the findings of the review of the national emergency co-ordination group's response to Storm Éowyn. I am here today in my role as national director of the national directorate for fire and emergency management, NDFEM, which is a section of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s local government division and which has responsibility for co-ordinating the review. The Government task force on emergency planning is responsible for emergency planning at national level, supported by the office of emergency planning in the Department of Defence.

The strategic emergency management framework 2017 sets out the emergency management practice at national level and designates lead Departments for a range of emergency types. Under this framework, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage leads the response to severe weather events through the national directorate for fire and emergency management. The national directorate activates and operates the national emergency co-ordination group process in accordance with the strategic emergency management framework guideline 1, published by the office of emergency planning. The review of the national emergency co-ordination group's response to Storm Éowyn was conducted in accordance with that framework. The national directorate established a review steering group, together with working groups, to examine the humanitarian response and review critical infrastructure resilience. This review was submitted to the Government task force on emergency planning, which encompasses all relevant Departments, for views prior to finalisation and it was subsequently presented to the Government and published.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has a number of direct areas of responsibility for severe weather, including: weather forecasting undertaken by Met Éireann; responsibility for water policy and oversight of Uisce Éireann; responsibilities relating to the local authorities’ fire service policy; and co-ordination of the NECG response to severe weather. The arrangements underpinning the NECG response necessitate the direct participation of all Government Departments, local authorities, emergency services and utilities.

The arrangements underpinning an NECG response necessitate the direct participation of all Departments, local authorities, emergency services and utilities. As a consequence, this review covers a wide range of policy areas, many of which are the responsibility of other Departments and of organisations under their aegis.

The national directorate activates and co-ordinates a whole-of-government response to severe weather events through activation of the NECG for very high-impact storms, prolonged freezing conditions and widespread flooding emergencies, but that response relies on the actions of many other Departments and bodies to deliver services and solutions. The local authorities, which are independent, have responsibility for the response to severe weather emergencies. It is widely acknowledged that the local authorities consistently demonstrate both leadership and capacity in dealing with severe weather. Local co-ordination groups are the locus of strategic co-ordination when emergencies and severe weather events cause significant disruption.

The activation of the NECG in response to a storm is an exceptional measure. Most storms and severe weather events are managed at the local level. Typically, for named storms, Met Éireann operates a technical briefing in partnership with the national directorate and key Departments and agencies. However, the scale of damage and disruption which was signalled at an early stage by Met Éireann left no doubt that it was necessary to activate a whole-of-government response in advance of Storm Éowyn.

In considering the NECG response, we acknowledge the hardship faced by many communities during and immediately following Storm Éowyn. We understand that because of the extensive disruption many people were left without electricity and water supply for an extended duration. It is important to recognise that communities heeded public safety advice communicated by the NECG in advance of the storm and took action to protect lives and help family, friends and neighbours who were most in need in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. The review demonstrates that the collective response capacity of local authorities, combined with the support of all Departments and key agencies, co-ordinated through the NECG is a well-rehearsed response mechanism that works effectively. We acknowledge the continued support from multiple Departments and public and semi-State bodies to underpin our Department's co-ordination role when the NECG is activated. We are grateful to the Office of Emergency Planning, OEP, for assisting the national directorate from the earliest stages of the response operation to its conclusion. Given the time available and detail provided in the review, I will not go through the NECG response in detail. Instead, I will highlight the key learnings identified for which my Department has policy responsibility.

Following the completion of a damage assessment by ESB Networks, reported to the NECG on Saturday 24 January, it became clear that the damage to the low voltage network was severe in many parts of the country. ESB Networks indicated that many customers would be without electricity for an extended duration, with this scale of disruption not experienced in any previous event. Given the hardship faced by many communities, the local authorities moved to establish emergency hubs. Simultaneously, a subgroup on humanitarian assistance, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, was established under the NECG to support local authorities in responding to the needs of people who were significantly impacted by the storm. At the peak of the response there were over 380 hubs in operation throughout the impacted areas co-ordinated by local authorities and provided through local voluntary and sporting groups. The highest priority following the response to Storm Éowyn was the development of guidance to ensure hubs could be established rapidly following a future large-scale disruption to power supplies. A guide to community support centres is now in place and eight centres were activated by Donegal County Council during Storm Amy. This guide will be used by all local authorities over the winter season and will be reviewed by the national directorate with the local authorities next March. The directorate is reviewing a guide to local co-ordination centres which are operated by local authorities to take account of the findings of the review on public communication and co-ordination, facilitating a much wider inclusion of supporting agencies within local co-ordination groups.

While operational issues are a matter for the local government sector, the national directorate will continue to work with local authority fire services to ensure policies and guidance support an increase in resilience of fire stations, regional communication centres, mobilising and alerting equipment and radio systems, working with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer. We have circulated some documents to the committee referred to in these opening remarks, including A Framework for Major Emergency Management 2006 and its appendices, the Strategic Emergency Management Framework 2017, A Guide to Community Support Centres from 2025 and a number of other documents.