Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey tonight defended holidaying abroad during the biggest freeze in 40 years, claiming the public did not need to hear from him.
Although the state faced dwindling supplies of salt with the prospect of road closures, Mr Dempsey insisted nothing more would have been done had he been here.
The Fianna Fáil TD said he cut short his week-long family break in Malta because of the controversy surrounding his absence, but said he was entitled to a holiday.
“I don’t see that they (the public) needed to see or hear from me,” Mr Dempsey said.
The Minister for Transport arrived back in the country this morning via Bristol, five days after leaving, after his flight from Malta was cancelled yesterday due to heavy snow at Dublin Airport.
Attending his first meeting of the Emergency Co-ordination Committee — convened four days ago to tackle the wintry conditions — Mr Dempsey insisted he would not have been able to prevent the weather had he been in the country.
And he said it was not fair to say that his absence caused the problems faced by the state, and that he kept in touch with his officials while overseas.
“I can understand that people who were having difficulties, who were perhaps not able to get out of estates, the difficulties particularly on Wednesday, that people would be annoyed,” he said.
“But I don’t think I would have been able to prevent the weather from happening whether I was in the country or out of the country.”
He added: “I can honestly say sitting here that I can’t think of one other item that could have been done if I was in the country, that hasn’t been done over the last four or five days.”
He said the forecast before leaving on Tuesday was for cold and largely dry conditions with a few wintry showers.
And the senior politician defended the need for his break saying he had obligations outside of the world of politics.
“I have family commitments as well as everybody else,” he said.
“I think people are entitled to a holiday. I’m entitled to look after family commitments.
“That’s what I did. I’ve other obligations, I’ve public obligations and I’ve private obligations.”
Meanwhile the chair of the National Emergency Response Committee, Sean Hogan, will appear before the Oireachtas Environment Committee on Tuesday to answer questions from TDs and Senators on the state’s response to the cold snap.
PA