Speech by Minister of State James Lawless at the launch of the Be Winter Ready Campaign 2024-2025

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Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to this year’s ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign. Last year this campaign was launched on 18 October. On the same day, the town of Midleton experienced an unprecedented weather event, which resulted in severe flooding.

The extent of this flooding had devastating impacts on the town, its people and many businesses. In effect; Midleton is still recovering one year on.

So the events of last year are still very much on our minds. And we all must bear in mind that this winter might bring similar challenges.

For this coming winter here in Ireland, I hope that individuals, families, communities, businesses and all of society take a look at the comprehensive ‘Be Winter Ready’ booklet that accompanies this campaign. It is an excellent source of advice on how you can prepare yourself for the winter months ahead.

As Minister of State at the Department of Transport, I am pleased to be here today alongside my colleague Kieran O’Donnell, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, to launch this year’s ‘Be Winter Ready’ public information campaign.

The October meeting of the Government Task Force in Emergency Planning, where senior officials from across government discussed the country’s preparedness ahead of the coming winter.

Eoin Sherlock, the Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann, is part of the Government Task Force and he also joins us today. We have already had one named storm this year, Storm Ashley, and I am sure that you will have plenty of questions for Eoin about the winter outlook.

Each year, the ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign demonstrates the ‘whole of government’ approach to planning and preparing for the challenges of winter. Core to this campaign is the message to be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help if needed.

The website winterready.ie provides you with a library of information on how to enhance your personal, household and community resilience this winter.

The launch of the campaign also marks the start of what can be a very demanding period for many people, especially our emergency services.

This year’s Be Winter Ready campaign covers issues such as mental health awareness, farm safety, flooding, road safety and weather warnings. These are all key issues that are important to bear in mind as we prepare for the winter months.

The campaign provides an opportunity for individuals, households and communities to take stock of the risks that winter can present us as a society and I will take us through the detail of the road safety aspect, while Minister O’Donnell will focus on the risk of flooding.

This winter, my request of all road users, not just motorists, is that they Plan, Prepare and Be Aware before setting out on a journey.

Plan for your journey. During severe weather conditions, consider delaying until weather and road conditions improve. Use public transport where available. If delaying is not possible, prepare by checking the weather on the Met Éireann website and local authority websites for incidents and information on road conditions.

Prepare for your journey. Have your vehicle serviced before winter sets in to ensure it is ready for winter weather conditions. Check the brakes, lights, wipers and de-mist functions. If you are not sure how to do so, contact your local mechanic who can help you. If you must travel, prepare for severe conditions by ensuring you have adequate fuel for the journey and making sure your vehicle has emergency equipment, including high-visibility clothing.

Remember, your tyres can save your life. They are your vehicle’s only contact with the road. Check your tyre treads to ensure there is a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. Anything less is illegal for use on a public road.

Be aware throughout your journey. Be mindful of weather and road conditions ahead of and throughout your journey. Never drive through flooded roads, as water can be deeper than it seems. Find another route. Don’t take chances and give yourself extra time to allow for weather related delays.

The winter months can be a period of particularly high risk for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Watch out for other road users and give pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists more space when overtaking.

Vulnerable road users, please keep safe by making sure you can be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt. Carry a torch in snowy conditions and wear clothing that does not restrict your vision. These simple precautions can enhance your safety.

Above all else, I would ask drivers to slow down and pay attention. The four main causes of deaths on our roads are speeding, distracted road use, not wearing a seatbelt and intoxicated driving, all of which come down to personal responsibility on the part of the road user. No level of distraction, multi-tasking and mobile phone use while driving is ever safe and nor should this behaviour be accepted in society.

Awareness of these risks, and how to manage them, enhances our personal, community and the resilience of society as a whole.

As we think about mitigating risk in our communities, it is of particular importance to remember that older people can be one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to the hardships inflicted by severe weather.

The Be Winter Ready is a chance to amplify this point and to ask people to take the time to check on older relatives and neighbours when we experience weather extremes this winter.

The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning which as I said, met this morning, is a clear example of the coordinated approach taken to emergency management across government.

This collaboration is vital in terms of providing an opportunity for all of the relevant government departments and agencies, along with transport operators, utilities and other services, to come together to deliver a consistent and professional approach to emergency planning across Government.

The GTF also ensures that government is prepared to respond to any crisis, which may require national level coordination. I know how seriously members of the Task Force take their responsibilities and how they have worked collaboratively to build this campaign.

By taking account of the material produced for ’Be Winter Ready’, individuals, communities and all of society can play a significant role in mitigating and managing the winter risks that we all face.

Each year, this campaign presents us with the opportunity to express our gratitude to all of those here in the National Emergency Coordination Centre.

It also gives me the opportunity to praise and acknowledge the vital work of the front line emergency services and the vital role that they play in ensuring the safety of our communities year round.

The role of the voluntary emergency services also requires attention. The voluntary emergency services, such as the Civil Defence, are not always visible, but when we need them, they are a uniformed and professionally trained resource, which enhances the capacity and supports the work of the principal emergency services. I’d also like to acknowledge the staff and volunteers of the Irish Coast Guard, working in our three Marine Response Coordination Centres and the 44 coastal units around the country.

Meanwhile, the underlying philosophy underpinning all this work remains the same and it is a simple one: Be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help if you need it. I would add to this message to be prepared to help others if you can.

While I hope that the winter ahead will be calm and mild and safe for all of us, I would urge everyone to start their preparations today. This campaign provides us with lots of useful information to plan for the coming months, whatever they might bring. In other words, “Be Winter Ready”.

Thank you all.

I will now hand over to my colleague Minister Kieran O’Donnell.