A meeting of the National Coordination Group on the recent severe weather was convened in the (NECC) National Emergency Coordination Centre today (7 January, 2014) to review the response to date, to assess the impact of the storms on infrastructure and communities and to ensure that the response of relevant local authorities, Government Departments and Agencies continues to be coordinated.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Brian Hayes and representatives from Government departments, response agencies and local authorities.
Met Éireann reported that Ireland has been subject to a sequence of Atlantic storms since 18 December 2013, resulting in extreme wind conditions, episodes of heavy rainfall and lately storm surges associated with high tides and low pressure atmospheric conditions.
It was noted that the new Met Éireann colour-coded weather warnings (red, orange and yellow) issued in accordance with the international meteo-alarm system was of assistance to the public as well as to Government departments, local authorities, utilities and transport sector in understanding the threats posed by the weather situations. Safety messages had been responded to well by the public but, regrettably, one fatality was attributed to a severe storm.
The response to all emergencies is appropriately locally-led in the first instance (by relevant local authorities in the case of severe weather). The Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government monitors the situation and determines if a Severe Weather National Co-ordination Group should be convened if certain trigger conditions are arrived at or where the local response is overwhelmed. Each storm and severe weather warning issued by Met Eireann was monitored by the Department as Lead Government Department for severe weather emergencies and contact was maintained with Met Eireann, the local authorities and the transport and energy sectors.
The agencies in the front-line reported on their responses to the storms. Now that the response phase is ended, the relevant local authorities are in the process of compiling reports on the recent events. On foot of the inputs from all sectors, a preliminary report will be prepared and brought to Government next week. The funding of repairs to transport and coastal facilities which were damaged will be considered by the relevant Departments in light of priorities arising from the reports from the local authorities.
The Department of Social Protection has advised that they have assisted a small number of households that were affected by storms/ flooding. Assistance is available under the exceptional needs and urgent needs payments and the humanitarian assistance scheme and any person experiencing hardship is advised to contact their local DSP office which administers this scheme in the first instance.
The medium term weather forecast was reviewed for the period ahead and it was noted that the three week period of storms now appears to be ending in favour of more benign weather.
The group thanked the emergency services, local authority workers, state agencies, businesses and the public for their hard work and patience during the recent event.