Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join previous speakers in expressing my condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones during Storm Ophelia yesterday. I wish to be associated with many of the comments that have been made. A friend of mine works as a manager in a store in this city. The company in question employs over 1,000 people across this State. He waited until 11.30 a.m. to hear from the company's headquarters and still there was nothing - no word or direction. He eventually made the decision to close the shop but many private businesses - my family members have commented on this as well - placed the responsibility in the hands of employees. We hear a great deal about those who put our emergency services in danger, and I accept that entirely, but surely these private businesses - many of which are multinational companies - with vulnerable staff who have few workers' rights might have put lives in danger as well. I wonder whether the Government should have been more proactive in advising those businesses to close. Obviously, a lead was taken by the public service, which was very welcome. Should what was done in the case of the public service not have been recommended or advised to the private sector as well? Could more have been done?