asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to claims by a national officer of the local Government and Public Service Union that the Civil Defence is seriously underfunded and incapable of adequate response to a nuclear emergency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Defence.
10.
There has been no reduction in overall expenditure on Civil Defence in recent years. The provision for Civil Defence in the Defence Estimate for 1988 is £1.765 million. A further £500,000 approximately will be contributed by local authorities.
As I said in reply to a question on this matter on 29 October 1987, Civil Defence provides, among other things, a warning and monitoring network as a protective measure against the hazard of radioactive fall-out in wartime. This network consists of Department of Defence personnel, the Army Observer Corps, elements of the Garda Síochána, the Meteorological Service, Irish Lights, RTE, certain local authority personnel and volunteer personnel of the Civil Defence Warden Service. It includes radiation-protected national, regional and county control centres with communication links and a broadcasting facility from the national control. Its equipment includes radiation measurement instruments. The network is tested once a year through national fall-out exercises and has performed well in these tests.
Arrangements exist also for advising the public on shelter and on other steps necessary for survival in a fallout situation.
With regard to the risk of fall-out arising from nuclear accident, new monitoring instruments which would give readings down to background level have been acquired for Civil Defence personnel.
I do not know what the Minister means by saying there has been no cut in the budget or expenditure. My understanding is that from 1985 to 1987 the training budget has been halved with the result that expenditure on Civil Defence is at 1 per cent of the overall Defence budget. Will the Minister comment on the suggestion that five counties still have to be provided with control centres and that many of the existing control centres in other counties are poorly equipped, particularly in relation to dealing with ventilation and other equipment necessary to secure them during a nuclear fall-out?
The Deputy has been reading recent reports which are totally inaccurate——
That is why I am asking the question.
In regard to the budget for training, the Deputy indicated that it has been cut by 50 per cent over a five year period. In 1983, training costs amounted to £442,871 and in 1988 the amount will be £670,000, an increase of 50 per cent, not a reduction.
In real terms, what does that represent?
The Deputy made the point that there was a cut of 50 per cent but the reverse is the case. In order to meet the Civil Defence responsibility for dealing with peace-time accidents, 63 low level radiation instruments were purchased in 1986 and a further 64 instruments will be purchased this month to complete the requirement. The average number of instruments per county will be three, which is sufficient, as monitoring will mainly be mobile and additional instruments will be issued for monitoring at ports.
Could the Minister say how control centres stand at this stage?
Equipment is increasing in every county. With regard to the question concerning radiation instruments, there is an average of three per county. The Deputy alleged that five counties do not have any equipment but that is incorrect.
As I understand the system each county is expected to have at least one bunker type control centre from where operations can be directed. I accept the Minister's answer in regard to reading equipment but my information is that in March this year five counties did not have such control centres constructed or available to them and that many of the other centres were substandard. Will the Minister comment on that? This is important from a local authority and national point of view because we are talking about something that does not necessarily arise out of a war. My question is relevant when one bears in mind that the bulk of our population live within 50 miles of nuclear installations in Britain, such as Sellafield.
The question in regard to bunker type control centres does not arise. Monitoring equipment is available in every county. I should like to point out that the primary responsibility for dealing with hazards arising from peace-time accidents rests with the Department of Energy. Civil Defence have a supportive role in that as follows: (1), monitoring radition levels throughout the country; (2), monitoring radiation levels on ships, aircraft and vehicles at seaports, airports and border crossings; (3), assisting in implementing decontamination measures as may be decided; (4), participating in the collection of samples of water, grass, vegetables and so on for analysis and, (5), assisting where required in the implementation of control measures. I must stress that primary responsibility for this rests with another Department.