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Dolphin's Barn firefighters at the Harold's Cross Road in Dublin after scaffolding collapsed during Storm Éowyn RollingNews.ie

Climate council calls on government to 'radically improve preparedness' for extreme weather events

The Council said recent storms had exposed Ireland’s “inadequate critical infrastructure”.

THE CLIMATE ADVISORY Council has today called for the establishment of a ‘National Climate Damage Register’ that would record damage done by major weather events, while also warning that the country needs to “radically improve preparedness” for such events. 

The Council has today launched the first in a series of publications examining Ireland’s changing climate, projected changes and “the critical need to adapt”. 

“If we do not put the structures and resources in place, we will increasingly expose people and communities to the destructive effects of extreme weather events, magnifying future costs and risks to society,” said Peter Thorne, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s Adaptation Committee.

In the report released today, the Council has said the damage register must be established to monitor and record the economic, social and environmental impacts of extreme weather events. 

While the report focuses on the changing climate and extreme weather events in 2024, it also sets out “the inadequate critical infrastructure exposed by Storm Darragh, and more recently Storm Éowyn”. 

Storm Éowyn left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power and water in January of this year. During the storm, the secure communications network used by emergency services also went down. The storm set an all-time wind speed record with sustained hurricane force winds of 142km.

The Council has said that the fingerprints of climate change are increasingly evident in the intensifying magnitude and frequency of certain extreme events, particularly heavy rainfall and heatwaves.

The Council’s report examines the disruption and impact for people, places and nature in Ireland last year.

Storms Isha, Bert and Darragh brought particularly strong winds, high rainfall and significant flood damage in Donegal, Kerry, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

The Council has said the government must ensure that the funding and necessary supports are in place in order to prepare for similar weather events, “underpinned by appropriate legislation”.

“The time to act is now,” Peter Thorne said.

“Government cannot procrastinate any longer. Proactive action can and must improve our preparedness for and response to rapidly emerging climate risks, to protect and support people, and future proof our communities. This must be underpinned by robust climate data and services,” he said. 

“The Council has highlighted the inadequacy of Ireland’s approach to address our changing climate over many years, and we have consistently called for investment and legislation to address the vulnerability and lack of resilience within our critical infrastructure and services in coping with extreme climate events.”

Unsure of what exactly is happening with the earth’s climate? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online.

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    Mute Paula T Nolan
    Favourite Paula T Nolan
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    May 17th 2021, 3:12 PM

    Lingering resentment due to lingering cost – still paying the Universal Social Charge. Also, it gave employers a new license to shrimp on salaries. I now take home the same after tax pay as in 2008. Resentment? Bloody furious. Especially as most of the boyos who facilitated crash are lining the hulls of their yachts with a greasy coat of paint for summer.

    258
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    Mute Chris Long
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    May 17th 2021, 2:45 PM

    Well if the banks employees says so…. its not like they’re on the payroll or anything!

    148
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    May 17th 2021, 3:24 PM

    @Chris Long: you should hear what a lot of people who work in the finance sector have to say about their employers – they are also on the payroll… Being on the payroll doesn’t make anyone give praise to their employers. Not saying the banks are great or anything but the point you are implying is heavily flawed.

    48
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    Mute Adrian™
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    May 17th 2021, 3:03 PM

    Why would anyone say you have trust in a bank? Unless the mean they trust the bank to treat you like dirt and charge you handsomely for the pleasure…

    181
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    Mute Michael Healy
    Favourite Michael Healy
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    May 17th 2021, 3:20 PM

    Banks had to be forced to put in a payment break for loans and mortgages in the first lockdown and wouldn’t even entertain it cone the second one, and yet wonder why people have low trust in banks. Some people think we have the bank debt paid off when in reality we are just adding the covid borrowing to the bank debt and we can forget things like the USC ever going away, meanwhile banks can put out these false mortgage and loan ads where they look great and friendly without realising when u fall on hard times, they turn into pack wolves and can cause people serious health issues trying to repay things back

    133
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    Mute Jack Cass
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    May 17th 2021, 2:31 PM

    Ah! the innocence of youth.

    124
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    Mute Karen Delaney
    Favourite Karen Delaney
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    May 17th 2021, 3:47 PM

    They’ve given us no reason to trust them. While the rest of the population scrimped out a living on much reduced pay, bankers continued with high salaries and bonuses.

    118
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    Mute Quiet Goer
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    May 17th 2021, 2:30 PM

    Pheic the cashless society

    42
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    Mute Corkonian In Dublin
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    May 17th 2021, 7:28 PM

    Asking bank staff about bank culture is like asking Landlords to vote for rent increases. If you want to know the true state of the Irish banking sector look at Ulster Bank and KBC. They are both pulling out. Leaving the country with AIB, BOI and PTSB. All of whom took state bailouts (your and mine pension money) and have yet to repay all of it (nor will they). I would like the EU to insist on the government to all Irish Citizens to open bank accounts in any bank on mainland Europe away from the so called “Pillar Banks”

    32
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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    May 17th 2021, 5:17 PM

    Shower of Bankers!!!

    31
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    Mute Deirdre O'Byrne
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    May 17th 2021, 7:06 PM

    @Niall Donnelly: wunch of bankers.

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    Mute whitewater
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    May 17th 2021, 6:35 PM

    You can always trust the banks to screw you over. The future of banking is the likes of Revolut and N26. Revolut did what the major banks have resisted for years.

    31
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    Mute Mark
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    May 17th 2021, 7:37 PM

    @whitewater: Revolut is not a Bank and your money is NOT covered under the deposit guarantee scheme

    13
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    May 17th 2021, 6:48 PM

    If they could just do their job properly. These days anyone who can make a decision is surrounded by a jungle of in_ept monkeys, making them nearly impossible to contact, 4 years waiting for BOI to let us draw down the last of our mortgage! Don’t build a house people, not with a bank at least.

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    Mute Bill Spill
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    May 17th 2021, 9:19 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: 4 years waiting on the last drawdown?!?!? There HAS to be more to that story! Genuinely interested if you want to share

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    Mute Dsds
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    May 17th 2021, 7:14 PM

    I would have more trust in a politician than I would in a banker…..

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 17th 2021, 7:36 PM

    Irish Banking Culture Board!

    Was tried and tested First-World Corporate Governance procedures set down for Plc’s, including for Banks, not sufficient to establish an acceptable culture here, Boss?

    Is Ireland the only country on the planet with such a quaintly named organisation that’s established to assure the public that adherence to procedures manuals, first written hundreds of years ago on proper behaviour in day-to-day banking, is no longer optional for the senior management?

    5
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