Weather chaos - Where’s our climate plan?

It may just be a slip of the policy-speak tongue but the fact that the State entity charged with organising a response to storm damage is called the “emergency response group” suggests that we have yet to accept the reality of climate change or the growing threat it poses.

As the severe weather seems to abate — or let us hope it does — the usual ding dong about who pays to repair vital services will begin. There is already the regular wishful bleating that the EU might be convinced to pick up some of the tab. This smacks of amateur desperation.

Surely it is time for a fully coordinated approach right across politics, local authorities and society to prepare for the challenges climate change will inevitable bring?

Environment Minister Phil Hogan, nearly three years in office, should publish an agenda and a timetable to show how these great issues are to be tackled. Unfortunately there is nothing in his record to suggest that he might or that he even thinks it’s a priority of our time.