Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I join the Minister in expressing sympathy to the families of the victims of the recent tragedy in Meath. As the Minister indicated, the entire situation involves an enormous task of co-ordination between the various agencies and Departments around the country. No doubt individually and in combination, the Garda, the Defence Forces, health workers, county council workers and a plethora of agencies, including the civil defence, do a tremendous job. The Minister has accepted that in other countries this area is centralised in the equivalent of the Taoiseach's office, and there is a good reason for this.

Here in Ireland each line Minister appears to have more responsibility. There may be cases where a given line Minister might not give something the priority, say, that the Minister for Defence would give it. Even though I accept that he is a persuasive man and can be stubborn as regards getting things done at times, he might not be as effective as the Taoiseach. Perhaps there is an argument to be made for a role for the Taoiseach's office in this whole matter.

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