Vol. 542 No. 2
213 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Defence the remit of the new emergency planning office; and if the operation of similar bodies in other jurisdictions has been or will be looked at to establish best international practice. [23633/01]
A review of the structures under which emergency planning is conducted has taken place. The attacks on the US have clearly changed the context for such emergency planning. Since the 1980s the emphasis in planning was on peacetime emergencies, whereas now we are faced with new threats arising from global terrorism. In these circumstances, the Government has decided to set up an office of emergency planning in the Department of Defence. The new office will take the lead role in emergency planning to meet the new threat from international terrorism and from any escalation in international tensions, including co-ordination of the responses by the various agencies involved, and exercise an oversight role in relation to peacetime planning in order to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between different planning requirements. The existing lead role of Departments in respect of specific emergency planning arrangements will of course continue. I am, accordingly, the Cabinet Minister with responsibility for the foregoing.
While there is in place an extensive framework of peacetime emergency plans, it is now clear that the basis on which emergency planning is currently carried out needs to be reviewed to take into account the possibility, however remote, of chemical and biological attacks on this State and its people or on neighbouring countries which could indirectly impact on this State. The lead responsibility for specific emergency planning functions will remain with the relevant Departments, and the high level contact group established in the wake of the events of 11 September will in future be convened by the Department of Defence to support the office of emergency planning. The operation of similar bodies in other jurisdictions is being examined to establish best international practice.
