Failings During Severe Weather Found

An Oireachtas committee has criticised the co-ordination and management during the winter's severe weather conditions.

The report, by the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Heritage and Local Government looked into the flooding in late 2009 and the heavy snow, which blanketed much of the State earlier this year.

The committee found there had been failings in the management of the situation by the emergency services.

However, the report also said some aspects of the response were positive, and outlined a number of recommendations aimed at improving the efficiency of response for similar events in the future. The report will now be forwarded to Environment Minister John Gormley for his consideration.

Speaking today, Labour TD Ciaran Lynch, who was a co-author of the report, made specific recommendations relating to the flooding crisis that took place in Cork.

Deputy Lynch said: "The committee has been working on this report for some months now, and I very much welcome the fact that we are in a position to publish it today."

Mr Lynch said he had ensured the inclusion of a recommendation that an independent team of experts be put in place to investigate the extreme weather experienced in places like Lee Valley and Cork City last November.

"One of the key aspects of my proposal is that this independent expert investigation team would consist of professionals whose skill-sets reflect relevant areas to be investigated, such as hydrology, meteorology, surveying and engineering," he said.

He added: "With this report, we now have a framework in place to ascertain the facts of the situation, but the ball is in John Gormley's court. It is now incumbent on him to accept in full the recommendations of our report and to appoint a panel of independent experts."

(DW/KMcA)