Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 242: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of times the emergency centre of the office of emergency planning has been used since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43732/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The National Emergency Coordination Centre has been used on an ongoing basis since it was established in mid 2007. The Centre is available to all government departments and agencies for use in emergency planning and response. It is the venue for meetings of the Governmental Task Force on Emergency Planning, the Interdepartmental Working Group on Emergency Planning and the National Steering Group for the implementation of the Framework for Major Emergency Management. During the pork crisis in December 2008, the Centre was used by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food as a Call Centre. The Centre was activated at the request of the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government as the current flooding crisis developed and it has been in daily use over the past week as the venue for meetings of the National Response Coordination Committee on Flooding. It has also been used by a wide range of departments and agencies to hold training courses and exercises.