Billy Timmins
Question:52 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence the situation regarding the emergency planning offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30589/01]
Written Answers. - Office of Emergency Planning.
Eamon Gilmore
Question:56 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the progress made to date by the high level contact group established to monitor developments following attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001; if the group continues to meet; the membership of the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30642/01]
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:62 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Defence the decisions taken by the Office of Emergency Planning in his Department to meet the threat from international terrorism. [30615/01]
Eamon Gilmore
Question:63 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the progress made to date by the Office of Emergency Planning established in his Department following the attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30643/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 56, 62 and 63 together.
In the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001 the Government moved quickly and decisively to respond to the evolving international situation. As I indicated to the House on 18 October 2001 the Government was briefed regularly by the security committee on current developments. A high level contact group was established and first met on 12 September 2001. This group consists of senior representatives of all of the key Departments and agencies charged with responsibility for emergency planning and internal national security.
A review of the structures under which emergency planning is conducted is continuing. Since the 1980s, the emphasis in planning was on peacetime emergencies, whereas now we are faced with new threats arising from international terrorism. In those circumstances the establishment of this contact group was further supported by the Government decision, on 2 October 2001, to establish the Office of Emergency Planning at the Department of Defence.
The new office is working with all Departments and agencies, which have emergency planning responsibilities, to meet these new threats, including the co-ordination of the responses. In addition, it will exercise an oversight role in relation to planning for peacetime emergencies in order to make maximum use of resources and to ensure compatibility and co-ordination between the different emergency planning requirements. The existing lead role of Departments and agencies in respect of specific emergency planning arrangements will of course continue.
The high level contact group has met on nine occasions to review emergency planning issues since 11 September 2001 and has been supported in this role by the Office of Emergency Planning. Following the new threat environment, the Taoiseach established an emergency planning task force on 18 October 2001, which I am chairing. The functions of the high level contact group have now been subsumed into the task force.
The Office of Emergency Planning provides a key support role to the emergency planning task force and, under its chairmanship, co-ordinates the work of an interdepartmental working group, IDWG, on emergency planning established to assist the work of the task force. The task force has been meeting regularly to review the various emergency planning and response issues. The task force has ensured that responses to suspected incidents such as anthrax scares were approached in a measured way. The task force introduced proper on-site risk assessment procedures to ensure that these incidents were dealt with efficiently and effectively and with the minimum of disruption to the public.
My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, has established an expert committee on biological threats to look at how our response to biological threats can be strengthened. The group first met on 1 October 2001 and its work is ongoing.
The National Civil Aviation Security Committee has been reviewing security for flights and at airports on an ongoing basis and this work has been accelerated since the events of 11 September. It is prudent that the security situation is kept under constant review by the task force in light of any escalation in international terrorism.
Meetings at European Union and United Nations level have been held to examine the issue of terrorism. Arising from these meetings, it is intended that a number of new international agreements on terrorism will be agreed. The most important defence against any possible attack is detection and prevention by the security forces.
The major emergency planning framework is designed to provide immediate responses by the emergency services – Garda Síochána, health, fire services, etc. – to any major incident. This framework is then developed at local level to take account of specific risks, such as a chemical factory or combustible fuel storage facility. These frameworks are being adapted to facilitate the best response by the emergency services to any incident resulting from the use of chemical or biological agents.
The possibility of a threat from airborne radioactivity from any nuclear plant in neighbouring countries has been the subject of emergency planning for many years. The national emergency plan for nuclear accidents provides a structure for the management of the effects of such an incident. The plan involves monitoring the track of a radioactive plume, advising people in its path to take shelter and a range of measures to alleviate the impact of such an incident and to keep the public informed.
The plan was already under review when the events of 11 September took place. It has been the subject of independent evaluation including a desktop exercise last July and a more substantial exercise on 10 November 2001. The Department of Public Enterprise issued an advisory notice concerning nuclear safety immediately after the exercise took place in both the national and the provincial newspapers. The evaluation of the plan is ongoing and a review of the exercise programme is being undertaken later this month. A revised edition of the plan will be distributed to the public early in the new year.
I am pleased to report to this House that there is a high level of co-operation between my Department and all other Departments and agencies through the emergency planning task force, the Office of Emergency Planning and the interdepartmental working group.
Furthermore, as chairman of the task force, I would like to thank those who have been actively involved across a range of disciplines, Departments and agencies in supporting the work of the task force. I will regularly report to Government and to this House on the progress being made.