Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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246. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way in which her Department responded to the declaration of the status red alert weather warning in relation to its own employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47924/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In common with everyone else in the country my sympathies go out to the three families of who were bereaved as a result of incidents during Storm Ophelia.

My Department participated in meetings of the National Emergency Coordination Group on Severe Weather throughout the period of Storm Ophelia.

In line with the advice provided by the National Emergency Coordination Group on Sunday 15th October my Department advised all non-essential staff not to attend work on Monday 16th October. My Department also closed all National Parks and Nature Reserves on Monday 16th October and these did not reopen to the public on Tuesday the 17th until an assessment of damage and any remaining risk factors had been completed in each case.

I am advised that as is its practice in the aftermath of all major weather events, the lead Department responsible for chairing the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Housing, Planning and local Government, has invited all Government Departments to participate in a review of the response to the event. My Department has provided observations to this review and will continue to participate in this exercise.