Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 4

Written Answers. - Proposed Legislation.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

8 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Defence when legislation to provide for the modernisation of the Civil Defence will be published; if he plans an expanded role for the Civil Defence in view of increased concerns regarding the dangers of nuclear, chemical or biological attacks or accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24444/01]

Tom Enright

Question:

18 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Defence the new Civil Defence initiatives taken by him in the context of the international crisis. [24555/01]

Billy Timmins

Question:

45 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence his proposals to develop the Civil Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24600/01]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 18 and 45 together.

The new Civil Defence Bill has been included in the list of priority legislation to be published during the current Dáil session. Detailed consultations with stakeholders have taken place in recent months and drafting is at an advanced stage. I am confident that the Bill will be enacted early in the new year.

The new Civil Defence Bill will be developmental in nature. It will provide a fresh start for the organisation and a positive way forward following on the experiences gained in the Towards 2000 Programme, which gave the organisation more of a community support focus, and on the policies to develop Civil Defence into a high quality second line emergency service as set out in the White Paper on Defence published in February of last year.

Under the National Plan for Nuclear Accidents, which is currently under review, the role of the Department of Defence is to arrange with local authorities to have an effective Civil Defence organisation trained to be in a position to respond to requests for assistance from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and other front-line emergency services to monitor radiation levels; collect samples of soil, vegetation and water for analysis and to provide assistance in the implementation of control measures in the event of a nuclear accident or incident. The Department is also represented on the emergency response co-ordinating committee under the plan.

In the event of a chemical or biological accident or attack the Civil Defence would respond within its capabilities to requests for assistance from front line emergency services such as the gardaí, fire services or health authorities.

As the Deputy may be aware, in the light of the recent horrific events in the United States and the wider threat from global terrorism and arising from a review of the structures under which emergency planning is conducted here, the Government recently established an Office of Emergency Planning in the Department of Defence.

That office will take the lead role in emergency planning to meet such new threats, including co-ordination of the responses by the various agencies, and will also have an oversight role in relation to planning for peacetime emergencies in order to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between different planning requirements.

While it is not envisaged at this stage that the existing response arrangements for Civil Defence as already outlined will alter considerably as a result of these developments, the organisation will nonetheless remain ready and willing to respond to requests for assistance that may emerge from the ongoing review of emergency planning. This will involve a continuing review of the training and equipment requirements of the organisation as a support to the front line emergency services.

Question No. 9 answered with Question No. 7.