Infections that are resistant to medicines are the biggest risk facing Ireland, according to an expert assessment.
The next biggest threats are a pandemic, cyber attacks and disruption to critical supply chains, according to Ireland’s National Risk Assessment.
The report aims to give direction to Government on how to prepare for possible threats over the next three years.
Professor Caroline McMullan, the lead researcher of the academic project Futureproof.ie which helped with the assessment, said the report provides an evidence base for creating policy around emergency planning.
She said the top risks facing Ireland, analysed by experts based on likelihood and impact, are antimicrobial resistance, followed by another pandemic, attacks on key computer systems, and disruption to critical supply chains.
An over- or inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to a wider range of bacteria that do not respond to traditional treatments, she added.
This risk is part of a…
