Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank colleagues in Sinn Féin for tabling this motion this evening. First, I wish to pay my respects to the family and friends of Kacper Dudek. I also keep in mind those who have been so significantly impacted by the damage caused by this storm. I also join the sentiments of others in praising the dedication on the ground, those working in our statutory and non-statutory agencies, who have worked so tirelessly for many weeks now. However, this evening I wish to talk about the concept of leadership and, more specifically, the role of community-based leadership in the face of adversities such as storms. While I accept the unprecedented nature of Storm Éowyn, we know there will be many more events that require a level of response that is efficient and all-encompassing. An Australian national expert on leading recovery for communities who have experienced trauma, Anne Leadbeater, has published a peer-reviewed paper highlighting the critical importance of locally-endorsed community leaders in complex post-disaster environments. This paper highlighted six themes when considering community-based recovery, namely, time, leadership, relationships, capacity, local knowledge, and communication. While we cannot blame the Government for this storm, what we can expect is leadership in the recovery. When Covid-19 hit, I was privileged to be a member of Kildare County Council on the community response forum. I did this on behalf of the councillors elected in Kildare. Reflecting on those themes I just mentioned, I saw this all in action at the time. We were efficient in our decision-making. Communities were empowered to take on leadership roles specifically regarding the identification and care of vulnerable people in our areas. The membership of the community response forum had its tentacles in every town and village in County Kildare. The membership represented the key services in our towns such as health, education, welfare, council executive, Kildare Public Participation Network, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and so many more. The sense of collegiality, purpose and support was beyond impressive. I am certain that what became the Kildare community response forum made a hugely positive impact on people's lives in their darkest days and it proved something to me. Communities have the capacity and the competency to play a crucial role in recovery events such as those after Storm Éowyn. Now is the time to consider their role a little further, specifically when it comes to the health and welfare of vulnerable people in our communities. I implore the Government to consider the role of community response fora for events such as this that could be stood up and stood down as required but could really focus on that health and welfare.

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