Mr. Kieran Kehoe:

My name is Kieran Kehoe and I am the chief executive of Meath County Council. I am here today in my capacity as chair of the corporate and emergency planning committee of the CCMA. I am joined by my colleague, Mr. Cóilín O’Reilly, chief executive of Carlow County Council and chair of the CCMA's rural, community, culture and heritage committee. The CCMA welcomes the opportunity to discuss the Review of Storm Éowyn report and Ireland’s storm preparedness.

Local authorities have been central to the development of emergency management and are one of three principal response agencies along with the HSE and An Garda Síochána. Local authorities have a vital role in responding to emergency scenarios identified in the framework for major emergency management, MEM. In accordance with this framework, local authorities are designated as the principal response agency for severe weather events. Our written statement includes a diagram showing the overall MEM structure across the country.

During Storm Éowyn, local authorities across the country activated their response teams, including severe weather assessment teams, major emergency management teams, crisis management teams and local and regional co-ordination groups as necessary and the local authority teams were deployed as soon as the red weather warning passed through each individual county. Local authorities demonstrated great resilience, co-ordination and adaptability in response to the unprecedented impact of Storm Éowyn in January 2025. The mid-west, midlands, north-west, west and north-east regions were more severely impacted by the storm and these areas faced more significant challenges around higher volumes of emergency calls, blocked roads, infrastructure damage and social housing impacts.

Key actions by local authorities already underway include the publication of Community Support Centres: A Guide to Assisting Volunteer Groups in Response to an Emergency. We developed this guide in conjunction with the NDFEM and the OEP and it was adopted by the CCMA. It has been circulated and is now operational across the sector. Local authorities have submitted their severe weather plans and flood plans to the NDFEM and will continue to do so on a biannual basis. The local authority sector fully participates in and engages with the NDFEM and NECG in relation to all emergency planning issues. Local Authorities also work closely with the Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, on winter maintenance planning arrangements and preparedness for road networks. The local authority sector is committed to establishing formalised arrangements with private contractors on a local basis for snow clearance and use of machinery and assistance in severe weather events. Local Authorities are also ensuring that maritime ports are prepared for the winter season. Along with these key actions, the CCMA's corporate and emergency planning committee engages with numerous Departments and offices and these are listed in our written submission.

Local authorities play a key role in promoting household and community resilience and readiness. For example, Monaghan County Council recently issued a leaflet entitled Personal and Community Resilience, which encourages members of the public and their families to make sensible preparations to be self-sufficient during an emergency or evacuation so that first responders can focus on emergencies. The local authority sector is working with the NDFEM to develop a national version for circulation.

Local authorities play a critical role in the dissemination of information to local citizens through their social media platforms, websites, and local and regional radio stations. We have communication protocols in place and most local authorities use dedicated lines for call centre communications with the public in severe weather situations. Predominately through our Civil Defence units, local authorities assisted the HSE, An Garda Síochána and ESB Networks, where possible, in their communication with vulnerable and isolated people. The dynamic nature of vulnerability, where individuals not previously identified may become vulnerable during a crisis, highlighted the need for more flexible and responsive systems. Local authorities are committed to adhering to cancelling public events, in line with regulations, where an orange wind warning threshold is forecast.

The existing MEM framework provides guidance for local and regional co-ordinators for severe weather events. Over the past number of severe weather events these co-ordination groups have brought in other relevant stakeholders, such as ESB Networks, Uisce Éireann, the Irish Farmers Association and forestry contractors, as the situation demanded locally.

Severe storms present challenges for the local authority sector. In our review, we have identified communications as one of those key areas. The telecommunications blackouts put our services under strain and we had to develop our own local workarounds in order to communicate with all of our staff. We were fully deployed across the country, particularly at the peak of the storm on 25 and 26 of January but as the storm persisted and the response continued, a strain was put on the resilience of our staff over an extended period of response. The infrastructure disruption, particularly to power and water, meant that up to 40% of our operations were disrupted in some shape or form. In terms of inter-agency co-ordination we have identified gaps but are in the process of remedying those.

Key priorities for us in relation to our future preparedness relate to the community-centred response that has been mentioned; acquisition and distribution of generators; integrated co-ordinated frameworks; the building of a resilient infrastructure; scalable staffing models; data governance for vulnerable populations; and, indeed, funding of the response and recovery.

The severe weather events of January 2025, marked by the prolonged snow event and the unprecedented impact of Storm Éowyn, were a defining test of Ireland's local government emergency response systems. The scale, intensity and duration of these events exposed both the strengths and vulnerabilities of our current frameworks. Local authorities demonstrated remarkable agility, commitment and community leadership in the face of adversity. From activating emergency teams, responding to approximately 17,650 calls and deploying Civil Defence units to establishing over 400 community hubs, the sector mobilised rapidly and effectively. However, the events highlighted a need to build further resilience for future emergencies.

The CCMA is committed to working with Departments, statutory agencies and community partners to implement these lessons. We believe that with the right investment, collaboration and policy support, Ireland’s local government sector can continue to lead in emergency preparedness and response, thereby ensuring safety, resilience and care for all communities.