Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 60 together.

The Government task force on emergency planning last met on Tuesday, 20 September 2005. The next meeting of the task force is scheduled to take place on 9 November. The task force has met on 41 occasions to date.

Arrangements to deal with any possible flu pandemic fall into two main categories. My colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children has lead responsibility for the situation where the avian influenza virus mutates in such a way that it becomes easily transferable from human to human, and is addressing the various issues that may arise. A detailed plan for response to an influenza pandemic was prepared in 2004. This plan is currently being updated to reflect the most up to date advice of the influenza pandemic expert group and the World Health Organisation. Her Department has established an interdepartmental standing committee on public health emergency planning, which is due to meet later this month.

My colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, has lead responsibility for dealing with the spread of the existing avian flu virus and she continues to reassess the level of risk and to update the contingency arrangements which are in place. Her Department will continue to keep the level of risk under assessment, taking account of the most up to date advice. The Government task force on emergency planning, which I chair, is regularly briefed and kept up to date on these matters.

The office of emergency planning within my Department 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 of the task force is oversight of emergency planning to refine and develop the arrangements that exist, to continuously improve them through regular review and revision, and to generally provide the basis for an increased confidence in the emergency planning process. An interdepartmental working group on emergency planning also exists.

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 and the Health Service Executive. The Departments and key public authorities involved have particular responsibilities under a number of strategic areas of Government emergency planning and regularly report on developments and progress at meetings of the task force. The objective of the Government is to ensure all State bodies can react quickly and efficiently to any large-scale emergency. Each of the Departments represented at the task force has assured the office of emergency planning that it is addressing its emergency planning responsibilities and that there are plans and response arrangements in place to address large-scale emergencies in Ireland.

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, on a confidential basis, to Government on emergency planning and it is my intention to bring the next confidential annual report to Government on emergency planning later this month. I am pleased to report to the House that 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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