How much food and water to keep at home in Ireland?

Short answer. Ireland's 2026 Be Emergency Ready checklist, from the Office of Emergency Planning, asks households to keep food, water and essentials for an emergency in which power or water may be lost, without setting a fixed number of days ¹². The only quantified item is drinking water: 2-3 litres per person per day, bottled and stored in a cool, dark place ².

How many days of supplies does Ireland recommend?

None is set. The checklist's wording is: "Make sure you have enough food and water to see you through an emergency" ². This differs from countries that name a duration, such as 72 hours or one week. If you want a benchmark, our guide to the 72-hour kit explains where that figure comes from; it is not an Irish recommendation.

How much water per person?

The checklist asks for 2-3 litres of drinking water per person per day ². It adds three handling rules ²:

• keep it bottled;
• store it in a cool, dark place;
• store it only up to the expiry date on the bottle.

To turn the daily figure into a household total, multiply it by the number of people and by the number of days you choose to plan for. Our guides on water per person and water purification cover storage and treatment in more detail.

What food should I keep?

The checklist asks for non-perishable food, rotated so that nothing goes past its expiry date, and chosen with the dietary needs of everyone in mind, including small children and pets ². No quantity is given. If you use formula, it asks for an extra supply of ready-to-feed baby formula ². Our guide on food shelf life helps plan rotation, and the pets guide covers animals.

What else is on the official list?

The rest of the checklist covers heat, light, information, health and papers ²:

The full list, line by line, is on the kit page.

What if I have to leave home?

The booklet covers leaving home ¹. The checklist lists what to take if you need to evacuate: medication and hygiene items, warm and waterproof clothing, a mobile phone and charger, ID and key documents, cash and debit or credit cards ². Our family plan guide helps decide in advance where to go and how to stay in touch.

Where do I start if this feels like a lot?

The OEP's own line is: "Do what you can: Some preparation is better than no preparation at all" ¹.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ireland recommend 72 hours of supplies?

No. The Irish checklist sets no fixed duration; it asks for enough food and water "to see you through an emergency" ².

How much water for a family of four for three days?

Using the Irish figure of 2-3 litres per person per day, four people for three days need 24 to 36 litres ².

Can I store tap water instead of bottled water?

The Irish checklist refers to bottled water stored in a cool, dark place up to its expiry date ². It does not give advice on storing tap water.

Should I keep cash?

The checklist lists cash and debit or credit cards among the items to take if you need to evacuate ². It gives no amount.

Sources

1. Office of Emergency Planning, Department of Defence — Be Emergency Ready - Information and advice in case of emergencies (accessible booklet) — https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/749e8ee7/JAV16262_OEP_Preparedness_Campaign_Accessible_EN_V4_Web.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Office of Emergency Planning, Department of Defence — Your checklist (Be Emergency Ready) — https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/cbe65d91/JAV16262_OEP_Preparedness_Campaign_Checklist_EN.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)