Office of Emergency Planning Engages World Bank to Assist with National Strategic Policy Framework

The Department of Defence has today (21 August) announced that the World Bank has been engaged to provide technical assistance to the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in its review of the National Strategic Policy Framework for Emergency Management in Ireland.

The OEP is a joint Civil/Military Office located in the Department of Defence and and

oversees and co-ordinates emergency planning at a national level. The Office works with government departments and other key public authorities in order to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility across different emergency planning requirements.

This project is financed by the European Union (EU) through the Technical Assistance Financing Facility (TAFF) - a partnership between the European Commission through its Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) - the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

As part of its contribution, a team of experts from the World Bank will conduct a series of technical consultations in Dublin with various stakeholders between 15 and 19 September 2025.

The consultations will cover different aspects relevant to disaster risk management, with the objective to identify policy and operational challenges as well as key opportunities going forward.

It is expected that an interim report will be completed in the autumn, with a final report being presented to the OEP by the end of the year. The report will highlight the current strengths of the Irish emergency planning system and identify areas for improvement, measured against international best practice.

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Notes

• The Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) provides the secretariat to the Government Task Force (GTF) on Emergency Planning, supporting the Minister for Defence as Chair. The OEP coordinates emergency planning arrangements across Government, using the Strategic Emergency Management; National Structures and Framework as its policy guide;
• The GTF meets in the National Emergency coordination Centre a number of times each year. It is comprised of Government Ministers, senior officials of Government Departments, senior officers of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána as well as officials of other key public authorities having a leadership role in Government and national emergency planning;
• The Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) National Structures and Framework document and the associated Annexes were approved by Government on 26 July 2017. The SEM identifies 50 different emergency/incident types across a range of lead government departments. It provides the basis for the National-level strategic emergency management and the supports required should such emergencies occur were a national-level response is warranted, including security related emergencies. Emergencies should be dealt with locally wherever possible.