Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

During December and early January, many parts of the country were beset by severe flooding which caused widespread disruption and damage to homes and property nationally, as well as a great deal of hardship. I visited many of the affected areas and spent a significant amount of time across the country where I saw distraught people whose homes were uninhabitable. I saw people who were marooned and businesses which were destroyed. A great deal of financial hardship and disruption was endured over Christmas and the new year and a lot of families were left in a very bad way. We share concern collectively for them. I express my sympathy to those who were affected, particularly those who were affected a second and more times. They have been affected in many different ways but there has in particular been significant financial loss to homeowners, families and businesses.

For the majority of Met Éireann weather stations, December 2015 was the wettest December on record. That is something none of us, whether on this or the other side of the House, will ever be able to control. The length of records in many cases extends back beyond 50 years. The rainfall was exceptional both for its persistence, with many stations recording rain on each of the 31 days in the month, for its intensity and for the prolonged nature of many of the intense falls. I remember driving home one night when the intensity of the rain was the worst I have ever seen. The rain went on for longer periods than most Members will ever have experienced. By any definition, this was an extreme weather event.

It is clear that there is a link between the frequency of these extreme weather events and climate change. No one can dispute that. We have to plan and act to become more resilient to the impact of climate change and adapt to the new realities that Ireland and everywhere else will face in the coming years. While we cannot stop the weather, we can better prepare for escalating impacts and we can improve co-ordination and planning across the different sectors. Following the passing of climate change legislation late last year, work is well advanced in preparing adaptation plans at national and sectoral levels which will provide the overall framework for Government, key agencies and, of course, local authorities to integrate climate considerations and adaptation measures into policies and practical measures. This is an area my Department will seek to progress further over the months ahead.

To underpin this work, and recognising the central implementing role of the local government sector, I have written to all local authority chief executives this week asking them to accelerate the establishment of climate change adaptation teams within each of their authorities. These cross-cutting teams, which will also include personnel responsible for the co-ordination of flood management and response, will be key to developing and implementing an effective local and regional response to the challenges which lie ahead in adapting to the effects of climate change. On that note, I take this opportunity to once again thank and commend the incredible dedication shown by local authority staff, volunteers and all other personnel in dealing with the flooding events over the past weeks. I am sure all Members agree. As a result of their dedication, homes were saved, properties were protected and families were able to stay in their homes for Christmas. As a country, we owe these staff and volunteers a debt of gratitude and I want that to be acknowledged here again in Dáil Éireann. I met many of these people nationally. Their determination and work ethic was incredible.

The response to the recent severe flooding has been led at national level by my Department, which is designated as lead Department for the co-ordination of response to flooding and other severe weather emergencies. As the lead Department for response, my Department has been convening a national co-ordination group, or NCG, for flooding since 3 December 2015. The primary purpose of these daily meetings is to assess the threat level based on weather forecasts and to share information on river levels and flood forecasts across all bodies, especially the local authorities. The NCG also deals with emergent issues arising which require a co-ordinated whole-of-Government national response. It should be noted that the national co-ordination group met first on 3 December 2015 in anticipation of the adverse weather which became Storm Desmond on 5 and 6 December. It has continued to meet on a daily basis, including over the Christmas and new year holiday period. The early activation of the national co-ordination group greatly assisted cross-Government preparedness and this translated down to an effective response at a local level.

At local level, local authority flood assessment teams in all affected areas were activated and have been operating on a daily basis since the beginning of December. These teams, whose members I have met in many places, anticipate problem areas based on Met Éireann's weather forecasts and OPW flood warnings and put local response and co-ordination arrangements in place. Protocols for inter-agency collaboration with the other principal response agencies, namely An Garda Síochána and the HSE, were also activated to coordinate the local response. It is estimated that local authorities have received and responded to some 20,000 calls for assistance since the beginning of December.

It must also be acknowledged that local authority staff in the worst affected areas have worked non-stop since 4 December. The voluntary emergency services, Civil Defence, the Coast Guard, mountain rescue and many others were mobilised to assist the principal response agencies. At the height of the flooding over the Christmas period, up to 3,000 local authority and support staff were involved in the response to the flooding across the country. As the extent of the flooding increased, local authorities were also assisted by the Defence Forces, which brought their considerable resources to bear in assisting in the response and in defending homes and property. They further supported local communities by providing transport services in areas that had become inaccessible and helping many vulnerable people. Despite this effort, it is estimated that approximately 550 houses were evacuated. However, some 285 of these have since been reoccupied.

It is an undeniable fact that, without this massive and co-ordinated effort, a great many more homes and businesses would have been ruined. In one town where 200 homes were flooded in 2009, flood damage on this occasion was limited to nine houses. Regarding flooded homes, Deputies will be aware of the issues that have arisen in terms of the insurance industry. Yesterday, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, other Ministers and I met the industry and emphasised how critical it was that all citizens had access to insurance to cover unforeseen events, including flooding. It strikes me that a fully functioning insurance sector should be able to provide this at a reasonable cost. The Government intends to deal with this issue, in particular given the demountable flood defence systems, a matter that needs to be addressed quickly.

As well as the response, local authorities have been leading on the clean-up following the flooding and acted swiftly in its aftermath to undertake necessary and urgent repair work. In recognition of this, €8 million in funding was made available by my Department for clean-up work. Almost €6.5 million was recouped by the end of the year. A further €10 million has since been made available by my Department for clean-up work.

An assessment of the total damages will be presented to the Cabinet. It will cover a range of issues, in particular roads, bridges and the like, which have taken a severe battering. It must be noted, however, that the full extent of the damage will not be known for some time until the water recedes. Once that information is compiled, we will bring it to the Government and take the appropriate actions.

Working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, plans for a new flood forecasting and warning system are being put in place. I look forward to this, as it will provide a valuable service in terms of flood mitigation. This new service will enable timely and focused warnings to be issued to facilitate effective mitigation across many areas by individuals, local authorities and other agencies. A great deal can be achieved through helping communities to prepare for and minimise the humanitarian and financial impact before a flood strikes.

A high level of community resilience was absolutely demonstrated during the recent flooding, where communities and individuals worked with local authorities and other bodies to defend their homes, properties and businesses. Locals came to the assistance of their neighbours and helped in any way that they could, which made a substantial difference in communities across the country. Supporting communities to become more aware of, and build resilience to, flood events is an important lesson from which we can learn. My Department is researching and considering how best community resilience may be advanced.

The generic response and co-ordination arrangements set out in A Framework for Major Emergency Management have been adapted and honed following other major emergencies that have occurred since their adoption in 2006. The framework's arrangements were severely tested during the recent flooding, but it proved its effectiveness, since the response at local and national levels worked effectively despite the scale and prolonged nature of the recent emergency. My Department, through the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, will conduct a full review of the response over the coming months to identify learning points and make recommendations to enhance its future effectiveness.

While weather and rainfall patterns in recent days have been more settled, the ground remains saturated. As such, any further rainfall is a cause for concern. In the case of the River Shannon, flood waters will not recede for a considerable period yet. The national emergency co-ordination group will continue to monitor and co-ordinate the interagency response for as long as necessary.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts that have been, and are being, made by everyone involved, both statutorily and voluntarily, in response to the flooding. As someone who was born and still lives on the shores of the Shannon at Lough Derg, I know the misery that flooding can inflict and the scale of the challenge that lies ahead of us all. I wish to extend my sympathies to those whose homes and businesses have been flooded and who are facing into difficult times. I am aware of the devastation to communities, having visited many of them and listened to people in recent weeks. Collectively, Members of these and future Houses of the Oireachtas face the major challenge of preparing for extreme weather events and climate change. I have no doubt that, given the dedication, determination and community spirit shown in dealing with these floods, we will be up to the challenge once we make the right decisions in the coming years.

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