Don't forget your shovel if you want to battle bad spells

OVER €500 million in damage, months of work by a team of highly paid state officials, a report that runs to 115 pages — and the advice for householders and businesses beleaguered by bad weather is: buy a shovel.And keep some disposable barbecue trays handy and a "big blue barrel around the back at the bottom of a down-pipe".

The report also advises home owners to "check the water supply stopcock, check the winter fuel supply, have a bag of salt in stock, get batteries and a water container or two."That, in a nutshell, is the considered view of those who compiled the Report On The Review of the Response to Exceptional Severe Weather Events Of 2009-2010.Their task was to evaluate the response and preparedness of Government for severe weather conditions.

In particular, they looked at the severe weather conditions during the winter of 2009/2010, the flooding of late 2009 and the snow of December 2010.According to the report, the bad weather resulted in "a huge challenge for the apparatus of state" and highlighted "society's ongoing vulnerability" Composite Flooring.

The report, compiled for the Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, recommends: "[A] campaign for a resilient Ireland involving the multiple sectors, such as agriculture, industry, business, education and the motoring public laminate flooring.

"Given the hugely damaging consequences, for so many individuals, of falls on ice over the two severe cold episodes... consideration should be given to making legal provision so that any person clearing snow... and following the advice provided, could offer this as a good legal defence in the event of legal action being taken against them."In other words, if you fall and break your leg outside a neighbour's door, don't go running to your solicitor Composite Wood Decking.