Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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111. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which his Department collects information and data in relation to weather and climate related emergencies, as part of its role in the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning towards improving the response to shorter term climate change impacts and building Ireland’s longer term climate resilience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35224/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I chair the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning which coordinates emergency management policy across Government Departments and Agencies. The Strategic Emergency Management National Structures and Framework, approved by Government in July 2017, outlines the Lead Government Department principle and how this is applied across a "whole of Government" approach to managing responses to emergencies. In the case of severe weather emergencies, the Framework identifies the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as the lead Government Department for such emergencies. In this regard the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage would collect information on severe weather and bring it to the attention of the Government Task Force, as appropriate. Also of note is that the Government Task Force adopted a Strategic Emergency Management Guideline on Climate Change Adaptation in December 2020. This guidance document is aimed at Lead Government Departments to aid them in linking their emergency planning with the National Climate Adaptation Framework, which is led and coordinated by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.