Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

While the Defence Forces are not a principal response agency, as defined in the framework for major emergency management, they provide assistance in an Aid to the Civil Authority, ATCA, role under the multi-agency framework. Representation on the Government task force, by both my Department and the Defence Forces, ensures the fullest co-ordination and co-operation with the appropriate lead Department in the event of an emergency. The Defence Forces are also members of eight regional working groups that have been established under the framework in order to co-ordinate the work of the principal response agencies. Furthermore, on an ongoing basis, designated members of the Defence Forces, based around the country, act as liaison officers to local authorities and I am satisfied that this arrangement works well locally.

The various procedures that are in place, both nationally and locally, were seen to operate very effectively last winter as the Defence Forces responded to all requests for assistance received from the civil authorities during the period of severe weather which ran from 27 November to 26 December 2010. During this period, all assets, resources and capabilities of the Defence Forces nationally were made available to the task force, and its inter-agency co-ordination committee, for the purpose of providing assistance where it was not possible for other agencies and organisations to respond.

The inter-agency co-ordination committee, which met almost daily throughout the emergency, requested that, strategically, the Defence Forces would concentrate its support effort on the Health Service Executive, mainly with regard to mobility tasks. Approximately 70% of all ATCA operations conducted by the Defence Forces were in support of the HSE. This proved to be a very effective approach as transport was provided to HSE staff such as palliative care and community nurses visiting patients and in the transport of health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, to their place of work and between hospitals as the need arose. Assistance was also provided to those involved in the delivery of meals on wheels while focused ice and snow clearing operations were also carried out throughout the country, with particular efforts being made to maintain the safety of public infrastructure and key transport hubs.

A report on the review of the response to the severe weather events of 2009-2010 was recently published. I believe that the response of the Defence Forces proved to be extremely effective. Preparations to cope with the possibility of severe weather occurring during this coming winter are ongoing. Members of the interdepartmental working group on emergency planning, on which my Department and the Defence Forces are represented, are currently working to further develop a "whole of Government" approach to preparing for severe weather. A special meeting of the Government task force on emergency planning is scheduled for early November, when I will be briefed by Departments and agencies regarding their winter preparedness measures. Following that meeting, there will be an information campaign to let the public know what measures have been taken and what people can do for themselves in order to be better prepared in the event of severe weather occurring.

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