Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleagues in wishing Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh all the best. He is going back to familiar pastures in TG4. His family will probably return to some element of normality. A career in politics is very hard on families. People have made reference to being a politician. Whether we admit it or not, we actually enjoy it. We enjoy the buzz of being involved in politics but it is very rough on families. I pay tribute to the Senator's family.

We are in the midst of extreme weather. There are varying levels of severity in different parts of the country but it looks like the storm will hit all areas. The emergency task force, chaired by Mr. John Hogan, is up and running. The most important point is that people be kept safe. The one thing I learned from Storm Ophelia is that people need to stay indoors. Lives were lost on the last occasion, unfortunately. When walking across Dublin this morning, from the Merrion Street end, I noted the roads are in a treacherous state. The main thing is to heed the warning to stay indoors. The services are in place. People should not be afraid to make contact with the emergency services, regardless of circumstances, because that is what they are for. I hope the storm will pass and that people will be safe. The weather is very severe and it will get a lot worse.