Emergency alert system splits Cork County Council

There was division in the chamber of Cork County Council on Monday over a proposed emergency text alert system, with one councillor going as far as to call it “scare mongering”.

Raising the issue was Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley whose motion called on the Government for clarification on whether Ireland currently has, or is developing, a national emergency text/mobile alert system.

Cllr Buckley noted that other countries have been using emergency mobile alerts for years, arguing that, with the increasing risks from extreme weather, coastal flooding, and other emergencies, people need timely, reliable information that could save lives.

“This is something I raised almost two years ago when we were told that work was ongoing by the Government,” she told the chamber.

She continued: “We now need a clear update on progress and most importantly when this system will actually be operational.

“The EU introduced a directive in 2018 requiring member states to have a public warning system in place to alert people to major emergencies and disasters.

The deadline for implementation was June in 2022.”

Cllr Buckley’s motion comes following government approval in June to proceed with the procurement of a new national Cell Broadcast Public Warning System, allowing emergency alerts to be sent directly to mobile phones in affected areas during major incidents.

Supporting Cllr Buckley’s motion was Cllr Gearoid Murphy (FF) who complimented the council for its response to emergencies and extreme weather events but noted that these events don't recognise county boundaries.

He said: “A national system integrated with our mobile phone networks is definitely needed. As climate change continues to take its toll, we can expect to have more extreme weather events into the future, and this would be very welcome.”

However, not all councillors were fully sold on the idea, with Independent councillor Alan Coleman saying a text alert system is “probably a good idea” but that he feels “the whole thing will be overhyped”.

He said: “I think we've been conditioned into the fact that we live through a crisis continually. Every day the weather changes; the weather is constantly changing.

“We haven't had a major weather event in here with 12 months actually.

“We’re being warned about minor changes in the weather in a country that's at the edge of the Atlantic where the weather's constantly changing.

“How many things have been cancelled over the last 12 months because of weather warnings that never really happened? So, I just put in that little word of caution,” said Cllr Coleman.

Agreeing with Cllr Coleman and going a step or two further, Aontú councillor Peter O'Donoghue described the whole idea as being “over the top”, arguing that Ireland’s current weather alert system is already sufficient.

He said: “We have red alerts, green alerts, yellow alerts, every kind of an alert.

And we have our weather forecasts. Everybody has access, everybody knows what's going on with the weather. And I think this is just adding to the, and it's fear mongering.”

In June, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport confirmed that the text alert project will move to procurement this year, with implementation expected in 2027.

The department said the system will complement existing communication channels such as broadcast media and social media, ensuring that emergency information reaches the widest possible audience.