Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group is the central Government platform, established as part of the response to a threatened or ongoing national level emergency, under the strategic emergency management framework. All Government Departments, local authorities, emergency services and agencies are represented on the NECG.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is the relevant lead Department under the strategic emergency management framework, activated the NECG when it became clear that Storm Éowyn would be a severe weather event. The first meeting of the NECG was held on Wednesday, 22 January, and the NEC continued to meet daily up to and including Monday, 10 February. The Department of the Taoiseach was represented at all meetings of the NECG and its related subgroups over the period 22 January to 10 February.

During this time I was briefed on the work of the NECG daily by senior officials and advisers in the Department of An Taoiseach. I also received personally a number of briefings from the chair of the NECG. I also had briefings with the Ministers, Deputies Browne, Calleary and O'Brien, and senior officials from their respective Departments regarding the co-ordinated response being overseen by the NECG, the humanitarian assistance scheme operated by the Department of Social Protection and the progress being made by energy, water and communications utilities in restoring services. Further, since the standing down of the NECG and its various subgroups, I have met with the relevant Ministers, officials, including the chair of the NECG, and State agencies to discuss responsiveness and lessons learned with the aim of improving our resilience and informing future preparedness for severe weather events.

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