A number of leaflets outlining the post-September 11th plans for a national emergency response were posted to households in the Dublin area prematurely yesterday.
The Department of Health and Children will begin sending out the packets of iodine tablets later this month, it is understood.
The leaflet, which was due to be sent out nationwide next week, simply contains a number of key points of advice about what to do in the event of nuclear fall-out. The leaflet contains three images of cooling towers, presumably at a nuclear power station, as well as an image of a forest and a person looking through a telescope.
It says that in the event of a "nuclear emergency" information will be issued by the Department of Public Enterprise primarily through television and radio. "Information will be issued promptly and will be updated regularly."
The national emergency plan, which is being co-ordinated by the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, is "designed to respond to a major nuclear accident or terrorist attack abroad which could result in radioactive contamination reaching Ireland".
The bulk of Mr Smith's work in chairing a committee on upgrading the State's national emergency plan is to ensure that the emergency services are in a position to respond to a major disaster.
The Minister's committee has been briefed by the State's senior security advisers, including the Deputy Commissioner of the Garda, Mr Noel Conroy, who has responsibility for all Garda operations involving crime and security. It is understood he advised that there was no significant major outside terrorist threat against this State.
It would appear from the leaflet and the decision to send out iodine tablets to each household that the committee's main concern is about a major incident at the Sellafield nuclear re-processing plant.
It says that as a result of such an emergency "radioactive substanc- es released into the air could be carried in a manner similar to a plume of smoke, and could be deposited on the ground along the path of the plume. It would be several hours at least before any radioactivity reached Ireland. The amount of radioactivity in this plume would decrease with distance from the site of the emergency."
Stable iodine is being distributed.
"It is not envisaged that an accident in a nuclear installation abroad would give rise to the need for evacuation of people in Ireland," it says.
It also gives two Web addresses, for the Radiological Institute of Ireland (http://www.rpii.ie) and the Department of Public Enterprise (http://.dpe.ie) where more information will be made available.
Those interested can also apply for booklets giving further advice and these and other information will be made available in libraries.