10. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence in the context of Storm Éowyn, the specific protocols and contingency plans in place to ensure Defence Forces assistance in future natural disasters; the criteria that are used to determine Defence Forces deployment in such emergency situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6069/25]

Sentiment score: 0.02

In the context of Storm Éowyn, will the Tánaiste outline the specific protocols and contingency plans in place to ensure the Defence Forces' assistance in future natural disasters and the criteria that are used to determine the deployment of the Defence Forces in emergency situations?

Sentiment score: -0.08

I am reassured by the Tánaiste's answer regarding the Army's role in dealing with any future natural disaster. We must put it in the context of the devastation that was caused on the west coast, most especially in the Roscommon-Galway constituency that I represent but also in west Galway, Leitrim and Cavan. Forests were blown down, roads were blocked, water supplies were cut off and people had no electricity. In some cases, people did not have water supplies for up to 20 days. This was an intolerable situation. It was unprecedented. I pay tribute to ESB Networks, local authority workers, voluntary groups, sports groups and emergency hub workers. However, I feel it was important, and people on the ground would have liked the visibility of the Army out on the ground helping people in that situation.

Sentiment score: -0.07

I am reassured by what the Tánaiste said. What we need is a reassurance that we learn lessons from this storm. There needs to be the three corridors. We need Uisce Éireann and our local group water schemes to be generator ready. The three corridors issue might be a bit more complicated to solve, but it has to be solved in the national interest, when 700,000 households were without electricity, some of them for almost three weeks. In that context, people need to be reassured that every asset of the State is put into play when we are under pressure with an emergency that struck the west coast in particular. In retrospect, perhaps we should have called a state of emergency and utilised all those assets. Again, it is easy in retrospect to say that. However, we need to learn the lessons from this storm.

Sentiment score: 0.26