asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline this nation's preparedness in the event of radioactive fallout by accident or war; the number of persons who are employed in the Civil Defence Force; and if he is satisfied that the force are adequately equipped to deal with such an emergency.
Written Answers. - Radioactive Fall-out.
736.
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 prepared by householders themselves and on the ability of the Civil Defence Organisation to predict and monitor radioactivity and to warn and advise the public in relation to it.
From the levels of radiation which might reasonably be expected in this country, the mere fact of staying indoors, in itself, provides a significant protection and this protection factor can be very substantially increased by carrying out simple protective measures. Advice to the public in this regard is contained in my Department's booklet Bás-Beatha which is available free of charge.
The arrangements for detecting, measuring and predicting radioactivity and for warning and advising the public in relation to it have been set up by my Department and these arrangements are tested periodically by means of the Civil Defence National Fallout Exercises.
The Civil Defence Organisation, in which the vast majority of personnel are volunteers, has an aggregate strength in the region of 40,000 but the active strength is probably about half that number. For a fallout situation the required national strength is 4,000 approximately and I am satisfied that that requirement is met and that such personnel are adequately equipped. As their instruments (radiation dose rate survey meters) are becoming obsolete, the Department have placed a contract — with an Irish manufacturer — for a new generation of the entire requirement of these instruments.
In relation to any radioactivity-linked peacetime incident, my Department maintain liaison with the Nuclear Energy Board who have responsibilities in this regard.