The Government is to establish an Emergency Planning Office to co-ordinate the response to future possible emergencies and attacks on the State.
The announcement follows Government embarrassment last week concerning the state of emergency planning in the event of a possible chemical, biological or nuclear attack.
The decision to set up the office, according to a statement from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, followed a review of the structures under which emergency planning is conducted, particularly in light of the new threats posed by global terrorism.
Mr Ahern said that while an extensive framework of peacetime emergency plans was in place, it was now clear the "assumptions on which emergency planning were currently based need to be reviewed". This had to take into account the possibility of chemical and biological attacks on the State or on neighbouring countries which could indirectly impact on this State.
The office is to be established in the Department of Defence. It will take the lead role in emergency planning to meet this new threat, said the statement, and from any escalation in international tensions. This includes co-ordination of the responses by the various agencies which would be involved.
It will exercise an oversight role in relation to peacetime planning in order to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between different planning requirements. "The existing lead role of Departments in respect of specific emergency planning arrangements will of course continue."