Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

363. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on his engagements with European counterparts and the European Union regarding assistance to alleviate the impact of storm Éowyn; the timeframe in which it was first considered to seek assistance; when a request for assistance was first made; if an offer of support was offered in advance of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4283/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday 21 January 2025, the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season. Widespread Red and Orange weather warnings were issued across Ireland and the United Kingdom ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. Ireland experienced gale force/storm force winds, including severe damaging and destructive gusts of over 183 km/h, a record for Ireland.

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) supports the mobilisation of emergency assistance in the event of major emergencies both inside and outside EU through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, part of DG ECHO.

As in all cases, when severe emergencies occur, national authorities will first develop an overview of the current situation, then conduct an initial needs assessment to identify any perceived gaps, helping to identify the strategic priorities regarding the emergency. It is essential that this process is conducted first, in order to understand what International assistance is required to assist in the strategic priority identified.

My Department has been actively working with colleagues in the ERCC since Thursday 23 January, requesting Copernicus satellite mapping in advance of the storm, to help develop a rapid damage assessment, and Aristotle scientific data supplied by the Joint Research Centre in Espira, Italy, through the ERCC providing further scientific data associated with Storm Éowyn. The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) consisting of all Government Departments and Agencies, working with the sectors affected by Storm Éowyn, prioritised impact assessment at the earliest stage in the response phase, deploying frontline staff after the Red Wind Warning had lifted and it was safe to do so.

Consequently, the NECG Sub Group on Critical Infrastructure identified the need for large capacity mobile generator support, due to the severely impacted electricity distribution network. This requirement was relayed through the Common Emergency Communications & Information System (CECIS) to the ERCC on the afternoon of Saturday, 25 January. and was relayed to all Member States as a request from Ireland for Large Generators.

On 27 January, the RescEU stockpile was activated by the Commission, with 13 generators offered, these were accepted on the day of offer. Further offers of generators from Denmark and Luxembourg were also made on the 27th and, once these offers were assessed in terms of requirements, they were accepted on the 27th and 28th of January respectively. A Team from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management worked closely with colleagues in the ERCC on the transport and logistics required to move these heavy generators. Transport was via road, sea and air, with Romanian Military C130 aircraft and an Antonov aircraft arriving in Dublin Airport and lorries arriving via Rosslare Harbour. All of these generators arrived in Ireland between 29 January 29 and 3 February 3 and are now supporting utilities, the education sector, humanitarian efforts and telecommunications, providing power and further resilience at remote sites. As is the norm, in events such as this, all generators will be returned to the donors and the RescEU stockpile, once Ireland has recovered, to ensure they are available for use by our EU neighbours should the need arise.

While there has been some criticism and claims that Ireland should have requested assistance from the EU in advance of Storm Éowyn, the EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, has clearly stated that the EU “can’t provide generators before they are needed”. Understanding exactly how the Mechanism works, the NECG Sub Group on Critical Infrastructure carried out a needs assessment immediately after Storm Éowyn, identified the requirement for large capacity generator support and submitted a request immediately; the response from the EU was also immediate.