Government warms to winter ready campaign

WHETHER we get
a severe winter for the third consecutive year or not, at least our Government
seems to be more prepared this time.

Last week it
launched a Winter-Ready Information Campaign at the National Emergency
Coordination Centre in Dublin.

Justice
Minister Alan Shatter launched the campaign, which coincided with a meeting of
the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, 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.

Dublin North
East TD Terence Flanagan (FG) has urged people across the Northside to make
sure they are ready for any severe weather that may lie ahead in the coming
months.

“While we can’t
prevent these severe weather events, we can do our utmost to make sure we’re
all as prepared as possible,

? he said.

For the past
two winters, heavy snowfall and severe icy conditions grounded the country to a
halt.

The cold snap
had a huge impact on people’s lives, while the economy was also badly
affected.