asked the Minister for Defence whether any new steps are envisaged to protect the civil population against radioactive fallout in the next 12 months by way of the acquisition of sites for shelters, publication of home protection handbooks, etc.; and the number of voluntary civil defence personnel who took part in the last national exercise.
Written Answers. - Radioactive Fallout Protection.
539.
My Department's policy for the protection of the population from the effects of radioactive fallout is based on the idea of domestic refuge rooms which would be prepared by the householders themselves, at the time, to cater for that hazard. Advise in this regard is contained in the Department's booklet "Bás/ Beatha", which is available to the public free of charge.
The information contained in the booklet is still substantially correct. However, it is being re-examined with a view to providing a slightly expanded more modern presentation. As part of the reexamination, the Department is considering various options for spreading the information in question.
Steps to improve the various arrangements for the protection of the civilian population against radioactive fallout, which are under consideration at present and in which it is hoped to achieve progress in the next twelve months, are mainly as follows:
the provision of additional instruments for the detection and monitoring of fallout radiation; further development of the present communications system principally by making greater use of radio transmission; an enlargement of the shelter arrangements following exploration of the possibility of providing increased protection against fallout in new public buildings at the time of construction and completion of a current examination of proposals designed to make available to the general public and professional personel technical documentation on the construction of purpose-built shelters; the preparation of an instruction package as an aid to existing facilities for the teaching of civil defence as part of the civics course in schools and other information packages as may be appropriate.
Approximately 3,000 members of the Civil Defence organisation took part in the national fallout exercise held in November 1981.