Storm Frank: Ministers reject claims Enda Kenny absent during crisis

Two Government ministers responsible for solving the floods crisis have denied Taoiseach Enda Kenny has shown a lack of leadership throughout the crisis by failing to visit devastated areas.

Fine Gael’s Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works Simon Harris and Labour’s Environment Minister Alan Kelly rejected growing criticism of the Taoiseach’s whereabouts, saying people do not want to see Mr Kenny “just putting on the wellies and doing a Bertie Ahern”.

VIDEO: Storm Frank's impact around Cork city and county https://t.co/vAu1gjFfQI (RMC) pic.twitter.com/7i5BwrFXpJ

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) December 30, 2015

However, pressure is mounting after Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin questioned the taoiseach’s whereabouts and Labour’s Rural Affairs Minister Ann Phelan pointedly noted she is visiting affected households but is “not quite sure what the Taoiseach’s schedule is”.

Speaking after a meeting of the national emergency storm co-ordination group in Dublin, Mr Harris said Mr Kenny visited communities damaged by the storms earlier this week and will do so again in the coming days.

“The people of Ireland know where Enda is, they know he was at the council of state yesterday [Tuesday] and I’ve said very clearly the Taoiseach will be visiting flooded areas over the coming days.

“This is about action. When I look at people in the whites of their eyes in the places I’ve visited, yes they want you to be there, yes they want you to listen to them, yes we need to listen to them, but they also want us to come with a few solutions and a few ideas and that’s what Government has been working on doing,” he said.

The Wicklow TD said it is important that “the taoiseach isn’t just putting on the wellies and doing a Bertie Ahern, saying look at me” and is instead “taking action through conference calls, ring-fencing €430m in funds, and setting up “an inter-departmental group” which will report on how to address the flooding crisis in spring.

Environment Minister and Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly said both ministers “are in contact with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste all the time” and had “a long conference call this morning” as the issue is “the top priority” for Government.

Mr Martin and party colleague Colm Keaveney, who claimed “there is no sense of urgency from Government in responding to the needs of flooded communities” and called for the Dáil to be recalled immediately.