This means citizens will be notified by mobile phone of an imminent disaster, national emergency, terrorist attack or severe weather warning.
He said: "Officials in my Department are currently working with the Office of Emergency Planning at the Dept of Defence to progress a mobile telephony based Public Warning System for Ireland in line with EU legislation, as a matter of urgency.
"An inter-departmental working group has been established to procure the necessary equipment and engage with the Mobile Network Operators to ensure interoperability between systems.
"In tandem with the procurement process, policy and procedures will be developed to ensure appropriate ‘Use Protocols’ are in place prior to the system becoming operational.
The announcement follows a recent test warning delivered to mobile phone devices across Britain and Northern Ireland.