The launch coincided with a meeting of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, Chaired by Minister Shatter, which dealt with winter-preparedness issues.

This is the first time that such a campaign has been undertaken. Through a dedicated website www.winterready.ie, advice is being made available from a number 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. A synopsis of the information available has been compiled into a booklet which can be downloaded from the website.

The main objectives of the campaign are:

To provide practical advice to 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.

To reassure the public that preparations are being made and arrangements have been put in place to ensure that there will be a coordinated response to severe weather events.

Minister Shatter said that the main message that he wished to convey today is - to be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help if you need it.

Note for Editor

The role of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning is to support coordination of emergency planning across Government Departments and Agencies, to provide a forum for keeping emergency planning high on the agenda of all Government Departments and to examine any cross-cutting issues. Representation at Task Force can be at Ministerial level or, more usually, at senior official level