Getting out the sandbags
When East Belfast and other areas were hit by flash floods last June, the Executive won some plaudits for its response. Having only just come to power local ministers could hardly be blamed for previous flood planning, and although the cynics might have pointed out that it helped that the then Finance Minister Peter Robinson was also the local MP, most people applauded the speed with which a local compensation package was put in place.
One year later, that precedent means the promise of compensation came without delay. But now they have been in power for a year ministers will find it more difficult to dodge any blame. I glanced back at the Assembly debates after last year's flash floods and they make interesting reading. On Ian Paisley Junior, speaking on behalf of the OFMDFM, said "Ministers are determined to learn any lessons that can be gleaned from the experience. The Executive have decided to set up a single telephone number for those affected by future weather-related and other emergencies. The number will be supported by a call-centre facility.". This morning Conor Murphy said the single emergency line would not be ready until October.
On Sammy Wilson was a DUP backbencher. This morning, as Environment Minister, he was keen to stress that there are limits to what any government can do in the event of such torrential rain. But last year, he picked up Conor Murphy's assertion that the flash floods were "exceptional circumstances" arguing that "in the past eight years, it is about the eighth time that I have heard - from various Ministers, not just from the current Minister - that those are one in every 100 or 150 years events. It seems that we have had 1,000 years of disaster all wrapped up in the past eight years.
As such events are not now considered to be exceptional circumstances, will the Minister give an assurance that emergency planning is being strengthened so that the Department is aware of where floods are likely to occur? They seem to happen in the same places time and time again. Will the Minister also give an assurance that data on the locations of floods will be collected and that the Department will liaise closely with the weather forecasters so that early intervention, such as the distribution of sandbags, can occur before the flooding even starts?"
Whilst the army did hand out sandbags in South Down after the latest flooding began, I'm not aware of any sandbags being handed out in advance, Perhaps this is something Sammy will discuss further with Conor.
P.S. On the Nolan Show, Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd rejected the idea of the British army being called out to nationalist areas to help respond to the flooding, arguing that an "army of occupation" would not be welcome. But according to my colleague Martina Purdy's book "Room 21" this contrasts with the attitude of Martin McGuinness during the foot and mouth crisis in 2001. Martina says Brid Rodgers needed the army to enforce an exclusion zone near Ardboe. "She rang the area's MP, Martin McGuinness, who was also a fellow minister. She told the leading republican that she needed cooperation with the British army. "What have you got to say about that?" she asked him. "If it has to be done, it has to be done," he told her. She was relieved by McGuinness's pragmatism."
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