Minister Browne meets National Emergency Co-ordination Group to ensure readiness as storm season begins
- Foilsithe:
- An t-eolas is déanaí:
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD today convened a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) to review national preparedness for severe weather events as we enter into the ‘storm season’ when such incidents become more prevalent. At the meeting, the Minister emphasised the Government’s total commitment to resourcing and supporting all responses to whatever challenges arise in the coming months.
The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM) is part of the Minister’s Department and co-ordinates the ‘whole-of-Government’ response to severe weather events through the NECG. The NECG membership represents a wide variety of relevant agencies involved in dealing with adverse weather events – government departments, local authorities, the health services, Gardai, Defence Forces, utility providers and transport services.
Addressing the NECG, Minister Browne stated:
“Everyone has a part to play when a storm arrives. It is crucial that we maintain the focus and the ‘Whole of Government’ co-ordination approach that we have used during severe weather events. Furthermore, it is important that we continue to build on our experience from the challenges of the past, including Storm Éowyn.
“Supporting resilience and the ability for communities to recover from storms is particularly important to me. That is why I welcome the Community Support Centre Guidance Document which will provide structures and advice for local authorities and voluntary groups when they need to activate such resources during emergency events. With regard to recovery, I would also urge utility, communications and service providers to continue the work they are undertaking to improve recovery times and build in additional systems resilience.”
Referencing Storm Éowyn, which took place in January, Minister Browne announced that a review of the coordinated response to Storm Éowyn has now been submitted to the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning. He added:
“Examining all aspects of the response to Storm Éowyn, and identifying all the key lessons across all sectors, this review and its recommendations will inform our responses to extreme weather events and how we keep communities safe in the future. This comprehensive report is almost ready and I hope to be in a position to publish it very shortly – and I will be keen for its recommendations to be implemented as soon as possible.”
Ends