State is prepared for winter, Minister says

The State is more prepared for the risks, difficulties and challenges that come with the winter months now than it has ever been, said Minister for Defence Simon Coveney.

“That being said, nature has a way of catching everybody off guard,” Mr Coveney added.

Drivers and homeowners are being advised to prepare themselves for winter before the weather deteriorates over the coming months as part of a new campaign.

Mr Coveney said a Be Winter Ready campaign leaflet would be emailed to every school in the country as a reminder for teachers and parents.

The leaflet contains advice on proper clothing for cold weather, the type of emergency equipment to keep in vehicles and how to protect livestock over the winter months.

There are 230,000 tonnes of gritting salt and about 500 vehicles are stationed across the country to deal with ice and snow on the roads this winter.

Road network

At a press conference in Dublin, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said that the main priorities this winter were keeping the road network open and ensuring that public transport users are aware of the contingency plans that service providers put in place.

He also said drivers should consider using public transport, especially during the winter months.

The Minister said that people should ask themselves whether car journeys in bad weather are really necessary and, if they are, whether they have the appropriate safety equipment in their vehicles in case of an emergency.

He said that the legal minimum tyre thread depth was 1.6mm but safe transport in difficult weather requires a depth of 3mm.

Minister for Rural Affairs Ann Phelan said the State has learned a lot about how to deal with challenging weather since the extreme conditions experienced a number of years ago.

“The winter of 2010 has definitely left an imprint on our brains in that we know we all have to be as prepared as possible,” she said.