Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Local authorities are designated as lead agencies for coordinating the response to flooding emergencies and severe weather as per the Government decision relating to the “Framework for Major Emergency Management” (2006).

The arrangements for emergency management are seen as having worked very well, in particular the responses led by local authorities to flooding and other severe weather emergencies. All local authorities have an established Severe Weather Assessment Team in place, monitoring Met Éireann weather warnings, High Tide Advisories and European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) advisory warnings. Local authorities also have Severe Weather/ Flood Plans in place to support the response to weather emergencies.

My Department undertakes the Lead Government Department role, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to the coordination of national level responses to flooding emergencies, where warranted. The Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management undertakes this role and works closely with local authority Severe Weather Assessment Teams.

Since 2009, my Department has made financial support of over €95 million available to assist local authorities in meeting the unbudgeted costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works, including for exceptional overtime payments, the hire of plant and heavy machinery, the purchase of materials required for the clean-up and the hire of contractors associated with significant severe weather emergency events.

This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of the activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities could not be foreseen in annual expenditure planning. This practice is considered a vital enabler of the local authority action, providing the assurance that availability of resources is not a limiting factor in providing a very effective local response.

In the context of the flooding that occurred recently and the exceptional nature of the response activities carried out by local authorities, clearly the costs of these activities were not budgeted for within existing resources. I, in consultation with my colleague Pascal Donohoe the Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery & Reform, have allocated supplementary funding of €12 million to contribute towards exceptional expenditure directly associated with the recent flood responses.

A Circular has issued to every Chief Executive in the country, inviting them to make an application with relevant details of the exceptional costs and current expenditure incurred by the local authority in respect of costs related to severe weather/flood response activities. Eligible costs are envisaged to include; hire of plant and contractors for necessary immediate works, purchase of materials required for response and clean-up, staff overtime payments specific to the event and immediate clean-up. A business case may be made for any other costs considered exceptional. As always, my Department will continue to work with local authorities to support them over the coming months, as they co-ordinate recovery and restoration works.

The closing date for receipt of cost recoupment applications was initially envisaged to be 6 December, however given the most recent severe weather events related to Storms Elin and Fergus, most notably the high impact sudden onset Tornado event experienced by Leitrim Village, that deadline for costs submissions has been extended until 13 December after which my Department will prioritise the processing and payment of applications received.

It should be noted that funding of repair of public infrastructure is undertaken by the relevant Department in line with its sectoral responsibility. Capital costs associated with infrastructural damage, for example damage to the roads network and coastal protection infrastructure (where relevant), are funded under relevant sectoral arrangements.