The State's response to the severe flooding and heavy snowfall last winter was "inadequate", lacked planning and was poorly managed according to a report by the Oireachtas Environment Committee.
The report published today focuses on the response of central Government, local authorities and State agencies to the flooding last November, which particularly affected the west coast, and the snows nationwide in January.
While it does not single out a particular agency or individual for blame for the inadequate management of these events, it does identify a lack of communication between the relevant bodies and notes that no one appear to be in charge of the State's emergency management system.
The report also highlights that a review of the management of the winter's severe weather was ordered by Minister for the Environment John Gormley but has yet to be published. The committee recommends the report be published by November 1st in order that its measures could be put in place before the coming winter.
The environment committee heard over several months from delegations from local authorities, Met Éireann, the ESB and Mr Gormley among others. It said it found no proof that the State and its agencies were properly informed of the risks of severe weather, properly managed or responded to those risks, or was adequately resourced to do so.
"Throughout our deliberations we repeatedly encountered a tendency on the part of various relevant State bodies to define their responsibilities more in terms of what the do not include rather than what they do," the report said.
Not only was there a lack of communication between State bodies, there was a failure to inform the public, even those most likely to be affected, of the approaching dangers, particularly in relation to flooding. The report found that the onus was on the State to inform people "prior to a catastrophe".
It also found that the extent to which people's lives were affected could and should have been avoided.
The report found that while some aspects of the emergency response were positive, and acknowledged the work done by the staff of various bodies, particularly local authorities, there was a clear absence of effective co-ordination and management of the situation, which mitigated against an efficient and well organised response to the events.
The report makes 26 recommendations for the management of future events, chief among these is that major emergency leadership should be provided by the Minister for the Environment or the Secretary General of the department; the department should manage a national programme of road salt procurement and storage; the OPW's funding for flood risk management should be substantially increased; the OPW should prepare a national strategy for river drainage and maintenance; and flood warning systems should be put in place on all major river systems.
