The Government plans to distribute a new handbook on emergency planning to every household in the State by mid-March, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea announced yesterday.
The handbook will run to over 40 pages and will give advice on eight emergency scenarios including nuclear incidents; pandemic influenza, hazardous chemical spills; flooding; accidents at sea; and explosions and suspicious packages.
Mr O'Dea yesterday received approval from the Cabinet to print and distribute some two million copies of the handbook, the text of which is being finalised at present.
"Research commissioned by me confirmed that public attitudes to emergency planning and awareness of our preparedness as a country is limited," said Mr O'Dea, who is chairman of the Government's taskforce on emergency planning.
The booklet will contain practical advice on flooding, for example, warning not to wade through floodwater (because of potential contamination or because manhole covers may have been swept away).
The research carried out for the taskforce said nearly seven out of 10 people believed the country was not well prepared for large-scale emergencies.
Charges of a similar lack of knowledge were levelled at Mr O'Dea's former junior ministerial colleague Joe Jacob soon after 9/11. In an interview that became known as "Iodine-Gate", Mr Jacob was unable to explain how iodine tablets would be distributed. The booklet makes no specific reference to iodine but will say there is a national emergency plan for nuclear accidents in place.