Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together.

Emergency Planning in this country is structured around the 'Lead Department' principle, which means that the Department that is responsible for an activity in normal conditions will maintain that responsibility in an emergency. It is a model that is followed in many countries and it means that the lead Department is responsible for assessing risks, making plans and leading the emergency response. In 2008 the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning agreed a 'Roles and Responsibilities' document that identifies the Lead Department and the supporting Departments and Agencies in over 40 emergency scenarios.

While there is no one national emergency response plan, there are robust processes in place for inter-agency cooperation at the national, regional and local levels. At the national-level, the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning provides strategic direction and coordination of emergency planning. The Task Force (which I chair) was established after the 9/11 attacks and is comprised of Ministers and/or senior officials from all Government Departments and key public bodies. The Task Force provides a means for keeping emergency planning high on the agenda of all Government Departments and it examines crosscutting issues that impact across Government. It is a forum for sharing of information and, from time to time, receiving expert advice on any emerging emergency planning issues.

Also, the Framework for Major Emergency Management is the document that sets out a structure enabling the Principal Response Agencies (An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and Local Authorities) to prepare for, and make a coordinated response to, major emergencies resulting from events such as fires, transport accidents, hazardous substance incidents and severe weather. There are arrangements in place for raising the response from the local or regional level to the national level and for activating the National Emergency Coordination Centre when a 'Whole of Government' response is required. In addition, there are specific plans in place to deal with specific types of emergencies such as a nuclear accident or an influenza pandemic.

Every Department is responsible for keeping the public up-to-date and informed of its emergency planning and response arrangements and this is done through its website or through other means, as appropriate. The Office of Emergency Planning's website emergencyplanning.ie outlines the structures that are in place and the key emergency planning contact points across the relevant Government Departments and Agencies. In 2008, as part of a national public information and awareness campaign on emergency planning, the Office of Emergency Planning distributed a handbook 'Preparing for Major Emergencies' to every household in the country. A copy of the handbook is available on the website.