'Be Winter Ready' campaign to include advice on what to do in power, water, or phone stoppages

The campaign follows the severe impact of Storm Eowyn last January, which knocked out electricity to 780,000 homes and premises, with 130,000 people still awaiting reconnection after six days. Pictured are Angela Ducey and her daughter Aine in Co Cork after a tree fell on the roof of their home during the storm. File picture: Larry Cummins

The Government is developing an “all hazards” approach to this year’s ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign to inform people what to do in the event electricity is cut, water is lost or phone connections are disrupted.

It follows the severe impact of Storm Eowyn last January, which knocked out electricity to 780,000 homes and premises, with 130,000 people still awaiting reconnection after six days.

Some 200,000 homes had no water. Many homes had no heating.

Mobile phone networks and the internet went down in affected areas. Even Tetra, the emergency services’ secure communication network went down for a period and local TDs complained people couldn’t get through to 999.

Kealan McMoreland, head of the Office of Emergency Planning, which co-ordinates government and State responses to emergencies, said the ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign has previously focused on seasonal preparedness, such as flooding and weather warnings.

Appearing before the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security, he said there was a “step up” this year, looking at an “all hazards” approach.

This will include disruption to critical services, such as electricity, water, heating and telecommunications, due to severe weather or as the result of a cyber attack.

The campaign would tell people "what you need to have ready in the event of an electricity outage or a loss of water or other utility".

Mr McMoreland said the campaign would combine advice but also what people might need to gather together to limit the impact of cuts to crucial services.

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Senior officials from the Office of Emergency Plannings and from Civil Defence, appeared before the committee on Thursday. 

Committee chair Rose Conway Walsh, Sinn Féin TD for Mayo, asked why was there “a delay, a failure” to call in the Defence Forces to help in Storm Eowyn, saying people were “begging on the ground” for assistance.

Mr McMoreland said he could not comment on other departments, but said the tasking of the Defence Forces was based on a request from local authorities.

Ms Walsh and Brian Stanley, Independent TD for Laois, raised the impact of significant cuts to outdoor staff in local authorities. “People at your level need to be aware there is a shortage there, a severe shortage,” Mr Stanley said.

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