A special meeting was convened on Tuesday to discuss emergency response issues including the Storm Éowyn response and the potential impact of long-term gas outages.
The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning session, chaired by Tánaiste Simon Harris, agreed that an official review into the extreme weather event last January would be completed by the summer and will examine both critical infrastructure and community and humanitarian assistance.
“Storm Éowyn was one of the most severe storms in recent history and caused deep disruption in communities right across the country,” said Mr Harris, acknowledging the “resilience” of communities in parts of the country that suffered prolonged power outages.
“I was therefore pleased today to chair a detailed discussion about how we deal with future storms, the kind of lessons we can learn from Storm Éowyn, and how we can do better to support communities when these extreme weather events take place.”
Case of three siblings abandoned as babies in London suburb confounds police
Irish government gave Facebook a ‘special phone’ in case of problems, former executive claims
Taoiseach to meet Trump in White House as US verges on possible trade war with EU
US says ‘ball in Russia’s court’ after Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire
The review, which will be submitted to Government upon completion, will include input from various departments and agencies who played a role in the response.
As part of a lengthy agenda, Tuesday’s meeting also featured briefings on security, risk management and the work of the Office of Emergency Planning and various subgroups.
Officials from the Department of the Environment provided a briefing on the outcomes of the recently held Exercise Cathal, examining the impacts of potential gas shortages.
Ireland depends on imported natural gas to generate electricity and is vulnerable to price and supply shocks. In 2022 Europe was convulsed by the threat of possible fuel and energy shortages as Russia’s war in Ukraine intensified.
A Euromonitor International report the following year ranked Ireland among the countries most vulnerable to energy shortages despite leading the globe for energy efficiency. The first global energy vulnerability index showed the State was ranked 70 out of 100 overall and was the third worst of EU members.
It showed Ireland was one of the lowest-rated participants in terms of self-sufficiency importing much of its energy in the form of natural gas, oil and coal.
In late 2022, the UK’s office of gas and electricity markets (Ofgem) revealed it could enter a winter “gas supply emergency” because of the war in Ukraine, sparking concerns in Ireland.
At the time, Ireland was importing 75 per cent of its natural gas via Britain through the Moffat Interconnector pipeline, which also supplies Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
The Government task force meets in the National Emergency Co-ordination Centre at least five times a year. It comprises Ministers, senior department officials, high-ranking Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána officers and members of key public authorities.
Various subgroups supported by the Office of Emergency Planning oversee issues such as risk, resilience, emergency communications, international engagement, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and public information campaigns.
