Brian Stanley
Question:294. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Defence the preparations in place in the event of bad weather over the next few months in relation to roads and other infrastructure. [46051/14]
View answerTuesday, 2 December 2014
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I, along with my colleagues Deputy Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Deputy Paudie Coffey, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, launched the Government's annual 'Be Winter Ready' 2014-2015 Information Campaign on 13 November, 2014. The campaign aims to inform and reassure people that the Government has made preparations for the winter. Through a dedicated website www.winterready.ie, advice is being made available from a wide range of sources including Government Departments, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, 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 and outlines how Government Departments and Agencies are addressing the necessary preparations for the winter, particularly with regard to our roads and other infrastructures should we experience bad weather periods.
The launch coincided with a meeting of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, which I chair, which dealt with winter-preparedness issues from a “whole of Government” perspective. Updates were provided by the relevant lead Government Departments and agencies for the various sectors all of whom have honed their responses based on experiences over the last few years.