My first parliamentary question

Leinster House

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So I’m a bit behind Eoin when it comes to having questions asked in the Dáil but I’m pleased enough that today is my first one. And I think it is reasonably timely given the recent weather based problems we’ve had and the lack of warning for flood or updates as to the state of the response for roads and so on.

Apparently, the minister for Communications Eamonn Ryan will be asked by Simon Coveney to consider introducing an emergency alerts system, using mobile phone mast infrastructure, to would allow the Government to make contact directly with the public on a targeted regional basis in response to emergency situations in order to improve direct communication between the National Emergency Centre and the public and if he will make a statement on the matter?

As you might have read before I was wondering why we’ve not taken to using the cell broadcast facility in the mobile phone infrastructure as a more up to date version of the old Emergency broadcast network that was so believed of sci-fi and disaster films down the years. It is amazing that as we are moving into the realm of apps from daft.ie that can alert you to the presence of houses for sale in the area you happen to be in that the government and local authorities can’t tell everyone via their mobiles to close their doors or evacuation the area. In the US there has already been movement to require operators to allow the emergency services use this facility.

With the fractured nature of our radio and television listener/viewer ship, the days of everyone hunkered down to listen to the radio, and anyway the nature of an emergency is that it is unexpected, they can happen at night when people are sleeping. Sure it won’t reach everyone but it will reach more people, and they can alert those who don’t get the message. Even if the message is to switch on the radio at a certain time for more information, or a smartURL via YourPinpoints to direct you a safe evacuation point.

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One Response to My first parliamentary question

  1. Pingback: SMS cell broadcast alert system for emergencies | Daniel Sullivan - he’s a little political

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