Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has called for a special Oireachtas committee to be set up to examine the Government’s inadequate response to Storm Éowyn.
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s climate spokesperson, said:
“The Government has insisted it will learn from mistakes made in the wake of last month’s devastating storm – but there needs to be a thorough examination of what those mistakes were.
“Feedback from the public, particularly from those living in rural communities in the west of Ireland, suggests that people felt abandoned by the Government. The lack of contact from State bodies created the impression there was no leadership during their time of need and compounded the sense that they had been forgotten about.
“It is important that those who were most impacted by the storm are now listened to. The lived experience of householders, business owners and farmers would allow for specific gaps in the Government’s response to be identified, and rectified, for future extreme weather events.
“I believe that establishing a special Oireachtas committee on Storm Éowyn would be the most effective way of achieving this.
“A public consultation as part of this process could provide valuable feedback to various Government departments, which could be brought before the committee to outline what preparatory work had been in place in advance of the storm – and, crucially, what could have been done better.
“Based on the committee’s findings, a clear set of recommendations could inform a planning framework for future violent storms, which are most likely increase in frequency and ferocity due to the effects of climate change.”
February 10, 2025