Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The Government task force on emergency planning, which I chair, was established in October 2001. The membership of the task force includes Ministers, senior officials of Departments, senior officers of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochána and officials of other key public authorities that have a lead or support role in Government emergency planning. I can provide a list of the people to the Deputy. The work of the task force continues and there have been 36 meetings to date. The next task force meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon and further meetings will be held on a regular basis as required.

The office of emergency planning was established, following a Government decision in October 2001, as a joint civil and military office within my Department. The office supports the work of the task force and continues to work with Departments and other public authorities to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between different emergency planning requirements. A key area of activity is oversight of emergency planning to refine and develop the arrangements that exist, to improve them continuously through review and revision and generally to provide the basis for an increased confidence in the emergency planning process.

An interdepartmental working group on emergency planning supports the work of the task force and carries out studies and oversight of emergency planning structures and processes. This working group has met on 33 occasions. Its membership is slightly different from that of the task force and I can supply the list of members to the Deputy. The interdepartmental working group encompasses all Departments with lead roles in the various Government emergency plans and those key public authorities, including the Defence Forces, which plan to support such activities.

The lead responsibility for specific emergency planning functions remains with the relevant Departments, as do the budgetary and resource management requirements. Emergency plans are co-ordinated by the various lead Departments at a national level and through the local authorities, including the fire service, the Health Service Executive and the Garda divisions at local and regional levels. The Departments and key public authorities involved in this process have particular responsibilities under eight strategic areas of Government emergency planning. The objective of the Government is to ensure that all State bodies can react quickly and efficiently to any large-scale emergency.

My officials have met in 2004 with 13 Departments with responsibilities in emergency planning and four State bodies which provide key support functions. These oversight meetings are conducted as part of a continuing programme which informs my confidential annual report on emergency planning to Government. Each of these Departments has assured the office of emergency planning that it is addressing its emergency planning responsibilities and has plans and response arrangements in place to address large-scale emergencies in Ireland.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

As chairman of the task force, my approach continues to be that such responses must be characterised by effective management of all aspects of emergency planning and by a high level of public confidence in all the response arrangements. Review and refinement arrangements will ensure co-ordination of all those responding so that, should we be unfortunate enough to experience a large-scale emergency, we will be in a position to mount a credible response. I will continue to report regularly to Government on a confidential basis on emergency planning. There continues to be excellent co-operation between my Department and all other Departments and public authorities in these vital areas.

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