The All Island Disaster Risk Reduction Conference
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From: Department of Defence
- Published on: 24 April 2026
- Last updated on: 29 April 2026
- Introduction
- Objectives of the conference
- Speakers
- Day 1 Sessions
- Day 2 Workshops
- Research
- All Island Disaster Risk Reduction Conference archive
Introduction
The Office of Emergency Planning will host the 4th All Island Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Conference, in Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Dundalk, Co. Louth, on 29 and 30 April 2026.
This All Island Disaster Risk Reduction Conference series was commenced in light of the significant crises and emergency situations that have, or could have, an impact on a cross-border basis on the island of Ireland. The growing complexity of risks highlights the value in increasing cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation for emergency preparedness, management, recovery, and resilience.
The theme of this years' conference is strategic cross-border linkages in emergency management with panel discussions, networking opportunities and workshops designed to support this theme and an all-island approach.
The attendees of the conference are drawn from the island, with a focus on those working at a strategic level in public administration, semi-state, academic, voluntary, and private sector. The attendees will work together on practical issues of common concern on strategic emergency management to contribute to the creation of cohesion across the island.
Objectives of the conference
- Map areas of cooperation in strategic emergency management on the island of Ireland
- Identify areas for improvement in strategic cooperation during a crisis on the island of Ireland
- Identify good practice in transboundary crisis management
Speakers
- Secretary General Jacqui McCrum - Department of Defence
- Permanent Secretary Moira Doherty - Permanent Secretary for The Executive Office
- Jason Kearney - Director of Emergency, Operations and Infrastructure Oversight
- Kealan McMoreland - Head of the Office of Emergency Planning
- Gerald Fleming - Former Meteorologist with Met Éireann, Disaster Prevention Expert with World Bank
- John Brophy - Crisis Management Specialists
- Natasha Grant, Deputy Director for Readiness and Response, Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms
- Kim Schildermans, Attaché, International Affairs Directorate, National Crisis Centre Belgium
- Dr Denis McMahon, Policy Analyst
- Carlos Mendes, Deputy Director for Prevention and Risk Management, Portuguese National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection
- Néstor Alfonzo Santamaria, Senior Policy Advisor on Risk Governance, OECD
- Professor Caroline McMullan, Professor of Business and Society, Dublin City University, Risk Advisor to the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning
Day 1 Sessions
The first day of the conference will begin with a session led by the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms Directorate, about how high‑performing teams can sustain wellbeing, focus, and resilience during prolonged or high‑pressure crises. This will be followed by a panel discussion on managing a major transboundary crisis to highlight the policy, legislative, and strategic challenges encountered during these events.
This session, led by an expert, Natasha Grant from the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms Directorate, will explore how high‑performing teams can sustain wellbeing, focus, and resilience during prolonged or high‑pressure crises.
Drawing on real operational experience from the UK’s central crisis‑coordination structures, the presentation will examine the human factors that shape decision‑making under stress, the organisational supports that enable teams to maintain performance over time, and practical approaches for leaders to safeguard morale, cohesion, and psychological safety in demanding environments.
This panel discussion will set the stage for the thematic workshops on Day 2. Senior representatives from Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Northern Ireland will share insights from their frontline roles in managing major transboundary crises. Their perspectives will highlight the policy, legislative, and strategic challenges encountered during these events, offering valuable lessons that directly inform the workshop themes.
The panel consists of:
- Kim Schildermans,
- Dr Denis McMahon
- Carlos Mendes
- Nestor Alfonzo Santamaria
Day 2 Workshops
The second day of the conference will consist of four thematic workshops running concurrently covering topics such as a more cohesive, north–south policy framework for cross-border emergency management, on how Ireland can strengthen north–south cooperation during cross border emergencies, how Ireland and Northern Ireland can strengthen joint strategic communications for crises of common interest and a simulated exercise mapping jurisdictional responsibilities during a crisis.
This workshop will explore how Ireland can develop a more cohesive, north–south policy framework for cross-border emergency management, using Spain and Portugal as a good example. Participants will examine current arrangements, identify areas of good practice, and discuss opportunities to enhance coordination, policy and legal alignment across jurisdictions. The session aims to highlight practical policy solutions that can be used to effectively respond to complex, cross-border emergencies.
This workshop focuses on how Ireland can strengthen north–south cooperation during cross border emergencies. Using the learnings from the Benelux response to the COVID-19 pandemic participants will explore lessons learned around coordination, mutual aid arrangements, regulatory and legislative barriers, risk communication, and managing information flow under pressure. The session will highlight opportunities to improve interoperability between jurisdictions, and identify practical steps to develop a coherent, joint approach to crisis of common concern.
This workshop explores how Ireland and Northern Ireland can strengthen joint strategic communications for crises of common interest, drawing on key lessons identified in DCU’s Communications for Impact study.
Participants will examine how to deliver clear, consistent, and trusted public advice during emergencies while respecting the distinct legal, political, and operational contexts of both jurisdictions.
Through facilitated discussion, the session will focus on improving early information sharing, coordinating messaging across agencies, and reducing public confusion during rapidly evolving events.
The workshop will also highlight opportunities to develop shared communication protocols, enhance cross border preparedness, and build a more coherent, people centred approach to risk communication that supports community resilience across the island.
This interactive workshop will focus on practical, impact-based scenarios to identify and map jurisdictional responsibilities across a range of emergency situations, including infrastructure disruption, severe weather events, and cross-border service provision.
Research
Monaghan County Council, in collaboration with colleagues in Northern Ireland lead a research study on cross-border approach to public service messaging in emergency management. This research was funded by the Shared Island Research Funding 2023, under the auspices of the All Island Disaster Risk Reduction Research Programme.
All Island Disaster Risk Reduction Conference archive
Themes of past All Island Disaster Risk Reduction conferences include:
- Emergency communications
- Resilient Societies and the Recovery Phase