Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

National emergency planning and management in this country is based on the lead Department principle, that is, the Department with lead responsibility in the area in question takes the lead in co-ordinating the response to the emergency.

The framework for major emergency management lists some 50 types of emergency and sets out the lead Department for each. The framework is available on the website of the office for emergency planning in the Department of Defence and is currently being updated.

When a co-ordinated national level emergency response is required, the lead Department will request the office of emergency planning to convene a meeting of the national emergency co-ordination group. The national emergency co-ordination centre is activated and staff from the office of emergency planning provide support to the lead Department in chairing the national emergency co-ordination group.

My Department does not have a lead Department responsibility. However, if the nature of the emergency warranted a special Government meeting, my Department, with my agreement and at the request of the lead Department and the national emergency co-ordination group, would call such a meeting.

In addition, officials of my Department attend national emergency co-ordination committee meetings in support of the lead Department and I am briefed as required as the emergency progresses. Also, a representative of the Government information service attends such meetings and provides support as required for the provision of information to the media.

As the question relates to emergencies, I am sure the House will wish to join me in expressing our appreciation of the work and commitment of Ireland's emergency services. This was shown most recently in the loss of Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 and I wish to express my sincere sympathy to the families of Dara Fitzpatrick and Mark Duffy, and also to the families of Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith, who are still missing. I also thank all the members of the emergency services and indeed all those who have been taking part in the search for Paul and Ciarán and those who have been supporting them. The local community in general and the people of Blacksod have shown absolutely phenomenal support during these difficult days. Last weekend, there was an extraordinary turnout from all over the country, not just the local region, with every kind of facility searching the thousand square miles in the hope that one or both of the bodies could be recovered. We hope and pray that they will be found soon.

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