LIMERICK residents have been urged to make early preparations in advance of the cold weather expected in the coming weeks. Speaking as the government launched its Winter Ready Campaign, Deputy Dan Neville said that last year’s cold snap had a significant impact on people’s lives and on the economy. “While we can’t prevent these severe weather events, we can do our utmost to make sure we’re all as prepared as possible and a number of lessons must be learned from last year.
“For that reason the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning has launched a Winter-Ready Information Campaign to give the public advice on how to prepare for the coming winter”.
He said that additional salt stocks should considerably alleviate last year’s problems with gritting roads, as a total of 200,00 tonnes is available for national, regional and local roads, including a strategic reserve stock of 40,000 for priority routes in the event of a prolonged cold spell.
Local authorities have been issued with guidelines on the spreading of grit, to ensure a consistent approach.
“We have no way of knowing at this stage whether we will be having another white Christmas, but the main message is clear; be prepared, stay safe and know where to find help should you need it”.
A website offering practical advice is has been launched at www.winterready.ie.
