Ministers Welcome New Emergency Communications System to Boost Rural Safety and Connectivity

Government has today unveiled a groundbreaking communications platform for Ireland’s emergency services. The announcement was made during a high-profile event in Westport attended by Minister Jack Chambers, Minister Dara Calleary and Minister of State Emer Higgins, alongside European Public Protection and Disaster Relief agencies, technology leaders and representatives from the European Commission.

The new system utilises cutting edge technology to build greater resilience in our emergency communications, creating a system of ‘last resort’ which will allow first responders continue to be able to communicate in emergency situations, like extreme weather events such as Storm Eowyn last year, where power systems fail.

The new Mission Critical Communications system built by Vodafone Ireland in partnership with the Office of the Government Chief information officer (OGCIO), will help emergency services including Gardaí, fire services, ambulance teams, and civil defence communicate and coordinate more effectively, even in the most remote locations.

Key benefits for rural communities include:

• Faster emergency response: First responders’ teams can talk, text, share live video, and send maps instantly, even during storms or in areas with poor mobile coverage to help reach people in need quickly.
• Priority access for responders: The new Mission Critical Communications system ensures first responders always have a reliable connection, even when networks are busy.

The platform was developed as part of Project 2.5, a groundbreaking initiative in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Funding was provided from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the main pillar of the European recovery plan, NextGenerationEU, which provides financial aid to Member States to combat the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project, which uses 5G technologies to drive innovation and sustainability, supports the transformation of Ireland’s digital landscape and helps the strengthening the nation’s emergency response capabilities, particularly in rural Ireland.
Project 2.5 has delivered high-speed fibre connections and established local computing hubs which function like mini data centers across rural Ireland, forming the backbone of the new National Low Latency Platform (NLLP).

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers welcomed the technology and said;

“This initiative is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to building a safer, more resilient, and more inclusive Ireland, leading the way on digital transformation and innovation and investing in digital infrastructure. In particular, this initiative builds resilience of our emergency services’ communications systems. We saw how these were impacted by Storm Eowyn last year and how critical these systems are to keeping people safe during extreme weather events. I’d like to acknowledge the EU funding received under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the work of the European Commission and officials in my Department in progressing the National Recovery and Resilience programme.”

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary said:

“As Government Minister with responsibility for rural development, including the islands, I have been following the work of OGCIO in supporting front line responders by looking at ways of making the communication infrastructure more resilient. As we all know, during and after Storm Éowyn, vast parts of the country were isolated for weeks without mobile or broadband communications. The services being trialled at this conference over the past few days give us a glimpse of how the PPDR users will be able to communicate more reliably and effectively in the future whether it is a major weather event or a road incident on the many miles of rural roads across the country. I also welcome the examination of how terrestrial services can be supplemented from above, be that from specially fitted out planes or specially designed satellites, and I want to congratulate all involved for their work on this.”

Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins added;

“The Mission Critical Communications technology unveiled today will lead to increased peace of mind for people living in rural Ireland and their loved ones, especially for those who are elderly or vulnerable. This is so important as we look towards the winter months. We are rapidly improving our digital infrastructure and this will deliver real improvements particularly for rural communities.”

The new Mission Critical Communications system was successfully tested this week in Westport, with emergency teams from Ireland and across Europe taking part in live trials, which once fully operational will have a transformative impact on rural safety in Ireland.

ENDS