A public information and awareness campaign on emergency planning is to be launched by the Government.
It will involve the countrywide distribution of a handbook and the use of structured exercises by public agencies to inform the wider public about their emergency plans.
The Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, who chairs the Government Task Force on emergency planning, said the production of a handbook to each household is a tangible way of communicating the various plans to deal with a wide range of emergencies and outlining the role of individual departments.
A media campaign will let people know how best to use the handbook and to reassure the public that there is no cause for alarm.
The campaign will be co-ordinated by the Office of Emergency Planning, but with the full involvement of all departments/public authorities engaged in emergency planning.
The minister said that research work has shown that nearly seven out of every ten people feel that Ireland is not well prepared to deal with natural or man-made disasters or emergencies.
The research also showed that only 7% consider themselves well informed about precautions and actions that they should take in the event of an emergency.
