Vol. 542 No. 4
3 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence if an office of emergency planning has been established; if so, the date when it was established; the personnel attached and resources available to such office; and the progress made to date in preparing plans to meet the new threat from global terrorism. [24754/01]
On the evening of the attacks on the US, members of the Cabinet were briefed by the security committee on the security precautions which had been put in place arising from those attacks. The security committee includes the Secretaries General to the Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and the Department of Defence, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and the Garda Commissioner.
A high level contact group, chaired by Department of the Taoiseach and comprising representatives of the Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Departments immediately concerned, was set up to monitor developments. The emergency services under their aegis was asked to ensure its arrangements were fully up to date. Since then, the security committee has met on a number of occasions and the high level contact group has also met regularly. At the Government meeting on 18 September 2001, arising from a report of the contact group, Ministers were asked to ensure that all necessary measures were being taken to monitor and respond to the evolving international situation.
In support of the emergency planning authorities in updating their emergency plans, it was arranged that the high level contact group would seek to identify specific additional threats which needed to be taken on board in revising emergency plans. At a meeting in the Department of the Taoiseach, of key Departments and agencies involved in emergency planning, arrangements were made for Defence Forces ordnance experts to assist planning authorities in their review of existing plans to take account, as appropriate, of any possible chemical and biological weapons threat.
A review of the structures under which emergency planning is conducted is taking place. The attacks on the US have clearly changed the context for such emergency planning. Since the 1980s, the emphasis in planning was on peace time emergencies, whereas now we are faced with new threats arising from international terrorism. In those circumstances, the Government decided, on 2 October 2001 to set up an office of emergency planning in the Department of Defence. The new office is taking 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 exercising an oversight role in relation to peace time 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 continue.
I established the office of emergency planning on 4 October 2001. The office, which includes four senior staff, both civil and military, with additional support staff to be assigned as required, will be located in the Department's head office in Dublin. The operation of similar bodies in other jurisdictions is also being looked at to benefit from best international practice. I will make regular reports to the Cabinet and the Houses of the Oireachtas in relation to the work of the new office.
While there is in place an extensive framework of peace time 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 or other attacks on this State and its people or on neighbouring countries which could indirectly impact on this State. This process of review is continuing.
Arrangements for the activation of major emergency plans have not changed in light of the Government's decision to set up the office of emergency planning. The responsibility for specific emergency planning functions and response arrangements will remain with the relevant Departments and agencies, as heretofore. Response planning for major emergencies is carried out at local authority, health board or Garda division levels and inputs from my Department, including the Defence Forces and Civil Defence, are factored into these plans. My Department will assist the development of the continuous process of threat assessment being conducted by Government. 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.
It is important to emphasise that there is no reason to believe that Ireland is a direct target for international terrorist attacks. It is prudent that the situation is kept under constant review in light of any escalation in international terrorism, but the most important defence against any attack is vigilance leading to detection of potential terrorists and prevention of their activities by the security forces. The Garda Commissioner and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces have assured me that all necessary resources are being deployed to this end.
I am pleased to report to this House that there is a high level of co-operation between my Department and all Departments and agencies through the high level contact group and the office of emergency planning. The Defence Forces are ready to provide any assistance required of them.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Will he confirm that the new office of emergency planning, as announced by the Taoiseach, has been set up? How many meetings have been held? What personnel and expertise has the office? Will the office produce a plan and is there a target date for that?
The office was established on 4 October, it currently has two civil and two military staff and additional resources will be provided as necessary. There are very senior and experienced people involved at that level. The office will play a lead role in co-ordinating matters and has met every day to work out the scope of its brief and to enjoin with the other Departments and agencies in updating the plans to ensure that we have the best possible arrangements in place to deal with any emergency or threat that could arise.
Will the office bring out a plan? The Minister mentioned co-ordination – what will the office actually co-ordinate and how will its command structure work? Who will be responsible? Will the office have a role in co-ordinating the Defence Forces, the Red Cross, the Department of Health and Children etc. I want to pin down exactly what the office will do. Does the Minister envisage that, as a result of this group being set up, there will be a request for additional resources and will his Department take that into consideration in the Estimates? What precise role will the office have?
I agree that is an important question because that kind of lead role, or co-ordinating role, can be misunderstood. The line Departments have full charge of their emergency activities. In the case of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, it is from that line Department that the local authorities and the fire services will get their directions. Similarly, the remit of the Department of Health and Children includes the expert group, the health boards, regional health authorities and hospitals. We are asking these agencies or Departments to bring forward the most updated plan they have to deal with whatever threats may emerge. We will consult together, check for any gaps and continue to improve on the plans. An immense amount of work has been done in recent weeks.
The people who serve in these agencies and the front-line people deserve our greatest support. For example, when there was a scare in Sligo yesterday, the Garda were called in and they, in turn, called in the Army personnel, who were equipped with chemical and biological suits which had already been dispersed to each region. They sealed the container and it has been sent for analysis.
Having reviewed the plans, we will consider what improvements we can make collectively.
Today's newspapers report incidents around the country, including one at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, suggesting that groups did not appear to have any concept of how to cope with an emergency—
We must proceed to the next question.
I hope I may get an opportunity to return to the matter at a later stage.
