Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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22. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the new emergency communications system will be fully operational, given the provision of such technology would be a vital tool for the elderly or vulnerable during the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64369/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Article 110 of Directive 2018/1972, known as the European Electronic Communications Code, requires all member states to implement a a mobile phone-based emergency alert system to transmit warnings to the public – a Public Warning System or “PWS”.

Ireland gives effect to Article 110 through Regulation 93A of SI 444 of 2022, which provides that I, as Minister, may direct mobile network operators to transmit a public warning to end-users of their services in the event of an imminent or developing major emergency or disaster.

While this regulation meets the needs of the Directive, the effectiveness of distributing public warning via SMS is impacted by network capacity, congestion and SMS character limits.

It has therefore been a long-term ambition of Government to develop a Cell Broadcast Public Warning System. This technology is widely used for public warning systems in other countries, including the United Kingdom, as it allows for localised alerting based on network mast location and is not impacted by the same issues as SMS.

The project to develop a CB-PWS has been progressed to date by my Department and the Office of Emergency Planning in the Department of Defence and via working groups under the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning.

It is my Departments role to procure the technical solution for the PWS and engage with telecommunications operators to integrate the technology into their systems.

The procurement of a Cell Broadcast Public Warning System for Ireland will provide an advanced and futureproofed system with extensive functionalities and capabilities, providing an effective warning system for the public in emergencies.

In 2024 my Department procured advisory services in relation to the procurement and implementation of the PWS. Since then, my officials and their advisors have been working to develop recommendations to Government in relation to the project.

Pending Government approval of these recommendations it is anticipated to begin procurement for the PWS technical solution in 2026, with full implementation of the CB-PWS in 2027.

This will allow the PWS to become part of existing emergency communications structures that are already in place and, in the appropriate circumstances, it will be another channel to provide information to the public among those already existing, such as social media, TV and radio.