James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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1003. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the implementation of the recommendations by the Joint Committee on the Environment in its report on Shannon flooding published in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41243/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The 2012 report of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht is titled Eight proposals urgently required to tackle flooding on the River Shannon, its tributaries and the waters feeding into it. Seven of the proposals come solely within the remit of other Departments and agencies – the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Office of Public Works.

In relation to proposal No 6, flood risk management on rivers is a matter for the Office of Public Works , working in association with local authorities and other agencies. However, in so far as it addresses emergency response related issues , my Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management co-ordinates the response at national leve l to severe weather emergencies, including flooding. At local level, the Principal Response Agencies (An Garda Síochána, the HSE and Local Authorities) operate under their own Major Emergency Plans and co-ordinate their response to flooding in accordance with the 2006 Framework for Emergency Management. The Framework requires local authorities to prepare severe weather plans and flood emergency plans, as sub-plans of their Major Emergency Plan. I understand that all local authorities have Severe Weather Plans in place and, where appropriate in accordance with local risk assessment, Flood Emergency Plans.