Emergency Planning

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Questions (295)

Alan Farrell

Question:

295. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Defence the amount of funding provided to the Office of Emergency Planning in preparation for winter; the way this funding is being administered within the Office of Emergency Planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45816/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Defence

The estimated cost of Winter Ready 2014/15 is approximately €40,000. The Winter Ready campaign was introduced by the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning in November 2011 to provide advice and information to help the public be better prepared to deal with a period of severe weather. A website www.winterready.ie

is available to provide practical advice and contact details of the main services that can provide help in extreme weather-related emergencies. The campaign aims to inform and reassure people that the Government has made preparations for the winter. The key message of the campaign is “to be prepared, stay safe and know where to get help should you need it”.

A cross Departmental working group of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning has met on a regular basis during 2014 to oversee the development of the 2014/15 ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign by the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP). The role of the OEP is to ensure that there is a “whole of Government” approach to emergency planning while each lead Department/Agency retains responsibility for their specific winter preparedness.