Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commenced Leaders' Questions this morning by expressing our good wishes to those involved in the response to Storm Ali. However, conditions seem to be worsening and the level of preparedness does not seem to be as effective as it was in the case of similar storms in the past. The Minister's Department has just announced that 11 of its offices have closed, while a considerable number of trees are down and there are difficulties with transmitters. Did the emergency co-ordination committee meet in advance of this storm? The committee did superb work last winter. I ask the Government to ensure the level of relative unpreparedness for this storm will not be repeated this winter.

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