Frances Fitzgerald
Question:101 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the current Civil Defence budget. [24001/98]
Written Answers. - Civil Defence.
The current allocation under the Civil Defence subhead of the Vote for the Department of Defence is £2.475 million.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:102 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel in his Department and in the Defence Forces involved in the organisation of Civil Defence. [24002/98]
The Civil Defence branch of my Department has 23 full time, two part time and two job sharer staff. Members of the Defence Forces are not involved in the organisation of Civil Defence.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:103 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of officials in each local authority who have certain responsibilities for the Civil Defence organisation; and their areas of responsibility. [24003/98]
: The county-city manager or designated person acts as controller of Civil Defence within each of the 32 local authority areas. Each manager or designated person is responsible for the planning, management and financial control of the local Civil Defence organisation. Each local authority area has a designated full-time Civil Defence officer or a part-time Civil Defence officer. The part-time officer is normally aided by an assistant Civil Defence officer.
There are 23 full-time and eight part-time Civil Defence officer appointments, and ten assistant Civil Defence officer appointments. The main duties of the Civil Defence officers are to formulate Civil Defence plans for their areas and to make arrangements for their implementation. They also arrange for the recruiting and training of Civil Defence volunteers. In addition, they are responsible for the care, custody, storage, issue and control of Civil Defence equipment and uniforms.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:104 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of volunteers in the Civil Defence. [24004/98]
: There are approximately 6,000 active volunteers in the organisation with a further 3,000 to 4,000 trained persons who are no longer active but would be available in an emergency.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:105 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the equipment supplied to Civil Defence; the basis on which it is supplied; and the current procedures in relation to the supply of uniforms, ambulances, mini buses and other items. [24005/98]
The equipment supplied to local authorities by my Department for Civil Defence use are as follows: vehicles, boats and kayaks, uniforms, rain gear, jumpers, boots and shoes, and other necessary ancillary equipments. Each local authority area has, as a minimum, one standard ambulance, one minibus, and one four wheel drive vehicle.
The provision of further additional vehicles is dependent on many factors such as the age profile of the existing vehicle fleet, the active strength of the local organisation, and the demands placed on it. In relation to the other items their distribution is dependent on the numbers of active volunteers in the county and the activities which they perform.