Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

A public information and awareness campaign on emergency planning was launched in April. The campaign was implemented following proposals that I brought to Government in late 2006 and January this year. My desire to implement a public information and awareness campaign on emergency planning stemmed from research that I had commissioned. The research clearly showed that there was a desire among the public to receive information on emergency planning.

The central focus of the campaign was the handbook, Preparing for Major Emergencies, which was delivered to every household in the country. It brings together for the first time details of the State's emergency plans to respond to a wide range of emergencies. It also provides practical advice on what to do in the event of an emergency.

To coincide with the launch of the handbook a three-week advertisement campaign was undertaken to let the people know that it was on the way and encourage everyone to read it. I propose to carry out market research later this year to review the impact of the campaign.

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