merrion street

As chair of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning I strongly advise that everyone should heed the warnings and advice of the authorities in your local area as the situation evolves and particularly the advisory messages issued by Met Eireann over the coming days.

Public safety is our primary concern. I want to assure the public that both the Defence Forces and Civil Defence stand ready to assist if requested to do so by the primary agencies and local authorities.

The National Emergency Coordination Group, which is chaired by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and attended by all Departments and Agencies involved in responding to severe weather, met earlier today to discuss preparations for the severe weather conditions that are expected for the coming week.

Representatives from my Department and from the Defence Forces actively participated in this meeting and were ably assisted by the Office of Emergency Planning.

The Defence Forces stand ready to deploy assets and resources when called upon, including transport and engineering assets. Civil Defence volunteers are also on standby across the country ready to assist.

Community resilience is an important part of our preparations and the public are advised to consult www.winterready.ie for advice on preparing for such severe weather. There is also time to check on vulnerable neighbours and family. For advice on traveling during severe weather check www.rsa.ie for practical advice. The message is simple

“Be prepared and more importantly be safe”.