Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Oct 1991

Vol. 411 No. 8

Written Answers. - Observer Corps.

Jim Kemmy

Question:

53 Mr. Kemmy asked the Minister for Defence if, in relation to the Observer Corps, he will outline (1) its establishment and strength, by rank, as at 30 September 1979, 1989 and currently; (2) its mission and function at present; (3) the number of personnel from that corps who have undergone training or participated in exercises overseas since 1 October, 1989, the nature of such exercises or training courses, and the overseas locations; (4) the involvement of the Irish Red Cross or Order of Malta (Ambulance Corps) with the corps and the extent to which their operations are funded by his Department since 1989 and the nature of such funding and (5) the number of (a) PDF, (b) FCA and (c) Slua Muirí personnel trained or exercised by the corps since 1 January 1990; and if he will make a statement on the future mission and role of the corps.

Minister for Defence (Mr. Daly)

The establishment for the Observer Corps is one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, six commandants, eight captains and 47 other ranks, the strength in 1979 comprised one colonel and 12 other ranks, in 1989 one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, four commandants, one captain and 14 other ranks, and in 1991 one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, three commandants, one captain and 13 other ranks. The Corps have access to the use of elements of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil to extend their effectiveness countrywide.

The mission and function which were originally assigned to the Observer Corps were related to a nuclear war situation including the task of predicting the path and intensity of radioactive fallout.

The Corps have also been given a role in the peacetime nuclear accident plan and maintain a number of environmental radiation meters throughout the State for use in this context. They participated in the most recent exercise of the plan in November 1990. Two officers of the Observer Corps attended a basic warning officers course at Evesham in the UK in June 1990, and one officer participated in an exercise in Preston in the UK in October 1990.

The Irish Red Cross and the Order of Malta (Ambulance Corps) have no involvement in operations with the Observer Corps and there is therefore no consequential funding. As an entirely separate matter, however, the Irish Red Cross are in receipt of a grant-in-aid from my Department — £370,000 in 1991.

Since 1990, 84 personnel of the Permanent Defence Forces, 580 pesonnel of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil and 100 personnel of An Slua Muirí have been trained by the Corps.

In common with all other units and corps of the Permanent Defence Forces, the Observer Corps are at present undergoing scrutiny by the efficiency audit group in an overall organisational context, and the group's report will be awaited before the future mission and role of the Observer Corps can be decided.