merrion street

Today, the Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe, T.D., as Chair of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, and the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr. Shane Ross T.D., and the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Mr. Seán Canney T.D., jointly launched the Government’s ‘Be Winter-Ready’ 2016-2017 Information Campaign at the National Emergency Coordination Centre in Dublin. Also in attendance were representatives from the various Departments and Agencies tasked with emergency planning and response. The launch coincided with a meeting of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, chaired by Minister Kehoe, which dealt with winter-preparedness issues.

Through a dedicated website www.winterready.ie, advice is being made available from a number of sources including Government Departments and Agencies, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, the Office of Public Works, Local Authorities and the transport providers. The advice has been categorised under various headings including: the Home, Road Safety, Schools, the Farming Community and the Business Sector. A synopsis of the information available has been compiled into a “Be Winter Ready” booklet, which can be downloaded from the website.

The main objectives of the ‘Be Winter-Ready’ information campaign are:

· To provide practical advice on how best to prepare for the coming winter.
· To ensure the public are aware of where advice and help can be found, if needed, and
· To reassure the public that preparations are being made and arrangements have been put in place to ensure a coordinated response to severe weather events.

All Government Departments and Agencies have also been requested to promote the “Be Winter Ready” information campaign through their own websites and over social media and to regularly update their own preparations and information campaigns as a “Whole of Government” approach to winter preparations.

In addition, the Office of Emergency Planning will be regularly tweeting during the winter period to augment the ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign. The twitter account can be followed on @emergencyIE and the public are being encouraged to join in the conversation at #bewinterready.

All of the Ministers stressed that the main message that they wish to convey today is –

“to be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help if you need it.”