Vol. 519 No. 3
94 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Defence the plans, if any, he has for members of the Civil Defence to be allowed partake in over seas missions in suitable capacities and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13705/00]
My Department will examine and support where possible any request from individual members of Civil Defence who wish to serve overseas with a recognised agency. A number of Civil Defence personnel have served overseas on an individual basis in Rwanda, in Iran, in Ethiopia and in Belarus.
The Department is currently examining the implications of having a more structured Civil Defence response available for service overseas in consultation with such organisations as the Agency for Personal Service Overseas (APSO).
The Department is pleased to have jointly developed a disaster relief nursing course for specialists who are working in disaster prone areas. The Civil Defence branch provided a specialist training module for this course.
