🇮🇪 Ireland
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| General emergency (Gardaí/police, fire, ambulance, coast guard) |
112 or 999 |
| European emergency number (works across the EU) |
112 |
| 112 SMS text service (deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech-impaired) |
Register at 112.ie |
Both 112 and 999 reach the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS); neither has priority over the other. From the call you can request An Garda Síochána (police), the ambulance service, the fire brigade or the Irish Coast Guard.
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In Ireland |
| National coordination body |
Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) — Department of Defence; supports the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning — gov.ie |
| National response framework |
Framework for Major Emergency Management (MEM) — mem.ie; standardised risk assessment and multi-agency response |
| National crisis platform |
National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) — convened and chaired by the relevant lead government department during a national-level emergency |
| Principal Response Agencies (PRAs) |
An Garda Síochána (police), the Health Service Executive / HSE (ambulance), and the local authorities (fire services) |
| Civil-protection reserve |
Civil Defence — statutory volunteer agency of the Department of Defence, administered by local authorities |
| Citizen preparedness |
"Be Winter Ready" annual campaign (launched each November) — gov.ie |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| Met Éireann warnings |
National weather-warning system with a Yellow / Orange / Red status scale |
met.ie |
| Status Yellow / Orange / Red |
Yellow = be aware; Orange = significant impact expected; Red = rare, very dangerous conditions |
met.ie / media |
| Named storms |
Storms named jointly by Met Éireann, the UK Met Office and KNMI (Netherlands) |
met.ie |
| National Flood Forecasting and Warning Service |
Led by the Office of Public Works (OPW), with the Met Éireann Flood Forecasting Centre (operational since 2024) — coastal and river flood guidance |
met.ie / floodinfo.ie |
| Flood maps |
Areas at risk of flooding |
floodinfo.ie |
| Irish National Seismic Network (INSN) |
Real-time seismic monitoring (DIAS + Geological Survey Ireland) |
insn.ie |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| Irish Red Cross |
Emergency and disaster response, rescue services, support to displaced communities — trusted auxiliary to the public authorities — redcross.ie |
| Civil Defence |
Volunteer support to the Principal Response Agencies (search, rescue, welfare) |
| Irish Coast Guard |
Maritime and coastal search and rescue |
| Order of Malta Ireland / St John Ambulance |
Voluntary ambulance and first-aid support |
| Local authorities |
The club's institutional contact for the local major-emergency plan |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Flooding (river and coastal) |
Nationwide; east coast Dundalk–Dublin and Wicklow–Wexford, south coast (Cork, Waterford), Shannon estuary and Galway |
Card B2 |
| Atlantic windstorms / severe gales |
Nationwide, worst on the western and Atlantic coasts; autumn–winter named storms |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Coastal erosion / storm surge |
~20% of the coastline; soft-sediment eastern and southern shores |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Wildfire (gorse / upland fires) |
Uplands and commonages; spring and dry spells |
Card C2 |
| Cold spells / snow and ice |
Nationwide winter events |
Card B3 |
| Earthquake |
Very low risk (Donegal, Wexford, the Irish Sea are the most active, but events are minor) |
Card A1 |
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
Irish equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) + Government Task Force on Emergency Planning |
| National response plan |
Framework for Major Emergency Management (MEM) |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
HSE National Ambulance Service (via 112/999) |
| Territorial state authority |
Local authority (county/city council) |
| National crisis platform |
National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) |
| Civil-security citizen reserve |
Civil Defence |
| National meteorological service |
Met Éireann |
Donation tax rules: under Revenue's Charitable Donation Scheme, a donation of €250 or more in a year to an approved body lets the charity reclaim tax at the specified rate (31% grossed-up) once the donor signs an Enduring (5-year) or Annual certificate; companies claim the donation as a trading deduction. Confirm your Rotary entity's eligible-charity / CHY status with Revenue.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox Ireland contact |
____ |
| National coordination body (contact) |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: 112.ie / ECAS, gov.ie (Office of Emergency Planning, "How to contact emergency services in Ireland"), European Commission ECHO — National Disaster Management System (Ireland), Met Éireann (met.ie), Office of Public Works / floodinfo.ie, Irish Red Cross (redcross.ie), Irish National Seismic Network (insn.ie), Revenue.ie (Charitable Donation Scheme). Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com