Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The lack of urgency in the Government's response to the storm was quite bizarre. The storm was on 21 January, and the Taoiseach said there was a meeting on 22 January, but - and maybe he can correct this - warnings of the ferocity of the storm were sent out days in advance, yet there was no effective co-ordinated plan in the aftermath. I will tell the Taoiseach what I think the problem was. Whatever co-ordination there was at a national level, it did not seep down through. We will discuss this in fuller detail in our Private Members' time tonight, but what we need to make absolutely certain is that we have a proper, co-ordinated plan going forward as to who does what, when they do it and what the outcome of that is. People are still absolutely perplexed that the Army was not brought in, particularly to clear the trees and to clear the way for the workers from the ESB. We need to do much better the next time because there will be a next time.

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