Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

As this weather spell went on longer than anybody would have anticipated, contrary to the forecasts, the local crisis involved more than just accessibility of roads and other issues came into play which made it appropriate for the national emergency response committee to convene a meeting. The committee met when it became appropriate to do so, and the Army was involved very heavily at that stage.

The Army was available at all times. It is ridiculous to talk about mobilising the Army and putting it on stand-by. We are not talking about a part-time Army. We have a full-time standing Army in this country that is mobilised and ready at all times. It can be requested on foot of a local plan or national plan at any time at all. The local authorities did not request the Army during the early stages of the crisis. Apart from the fact that some of them were asleep, I suspect that the local authorities did not request the Army in many cases due to a lack of material, rather than a lack of personnel to put down the material. The authorities had enough personnel to grit the roads and did not need any extra help.

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