Denis Naughten
Question:6 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Defence his plans for further investment at Custume Barracks, Athlone, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31328/11]
Other Questions
Army Barracks
The Department is engaged in an ongoing capital building programme designed to modernise and enhance the training, operational and accommodation facilities available to members of the Defence Forces. Under this programme, there has been considerable capital investment in Custume Barracks. Recent major projects include the provision of additional living-in accommodation, construction of a new gymnasium, refurbishment and extension of the Water Gate building as office accommodation and the provision of new underground services and associated works. The construction of new armoured vehicle garaging has recently reached substantial completion and the repair and upgrading of the heating system in the dining hall is under way. Approximately €5.8 million of the capital budget has been invested in Custume Barracks during the past five years.
I thank the Minister for his reply. As he is aware, Custume Barracks in Athlone have seen some additional capital investment on foot of the closure of the barracks in County Longford. As he knows, the military authorities are considering the possible closure of Cavan and Mullingar barracks, where a total of 330 soldiers and 240 reservists are based. This would have implications for the majority of staff who, in all probability, would be transferred to Custume Barracks. On foot of imminent closures, are plans afoot to make further investment in Custume Barracks?
As the Deputy may have heard me remark, no final decisions have been made on the further consolidation of barracks as part of the comprehensive review programme being undertaken. During November, the Government will make decisions applicable to all Departments on how to affect not merely savings, but also efficiencies.
If there were barrack closures that had implications for Custume Barracks, they are issues that would have to be addressed in the context of any decisions made, but it would be premature for me at this stage to enter into that issue because the matter is very much under consideration and no finality has been reached with regard to the decision-making process.
I accept what the Minister said and I am not trying to pre-empt any decision by Government. To put the question another way, if it is the case that the closure of barracks has implications for Custume Barracks in Athlone, can the Minister assure the House that the additional facilities required to cater for additional numbers would be put in place at Custume Barracks to meet the existing standards?
It is of crucial importance, to the Deputy and all Deputies, that if there is further barrack consolidation which requires the movement of troops from one barracks to another, all necessary steps will be taken to ensure proper facilities are available and should that require some capital investment, that would have to be undertaken but it would have to be within the constraints that exist on public expenditure at present.
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:7 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide the full list of Army barracks due to close; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31565/11]
Joan Collins
Question:18 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Defence his schedule for the closure of Army barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31567/11]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 18 together.
As of now, as I said, no decision has been made by the Government on the future of any military installation. However, the issue of the closure of barracks will be considered shortly as part of the comprehensive review of expenditure.
Various commissions, reports and studies back to the 1990s identified barrack closures as a fundamental requirement for improving military effectiveness and efficiency. Since 1998 a total of ten barracks have been closed under two barrack consolidation programmes. A total of €84.98 million has been realised from the disposal of six of these barracks and part of another. The moneys received from the sales of these and other Defence properties have been reinvested in equipment and infrastructure for the Defence Forces.
My priority must be to ensure that all decisions about resource allocation are focused on maximizing the capabilities of the Defence Forces and ensuring their continued operational capacity. I am also anxious to ensure, in so far as is possible, that the Government is not compelled by fiscal and budgetary constraints to effect any substantial further reduction in the current number of personnel in the Defence Forces. As on previous occasions, a Defence Forces security assessment will inform deliberations.
I regret that, prior to this matter being considered by Government in the context of the overall review of expenditure, uncertainty has arisen as to the future of barracks and I know this is a cause of concern to members of the Defence Forces and to their family members, as referred to earlier. Unfortunately, the space in which we find ourselves is as a result of the dreadful financial legacy we have inherited and it is important in the context of the overall review of expenditure that I, as Minister, ensure our resources are applied efficiently and that we maximise the capabilities of the Defence Forces to the greatest possible extent.
Although the Minister is not spelling it out, it sounds as if the dye is already cast from his point of view in that he will go ahead with the proposed barrack closures. If that is not the case, will he clarify his recommendations or the process within which this review will take place that will lead him to make a decision on this? The military personnel, their families and the towns associated with those barracks do not want the barracks to close or the anxiety that would cause. They do not want to be uprooted and the longer distances military personnel would have to travel would result in them being away from their families for a longer time. Taking account of the totality of matters, they seriously question what economic advantage could be gained from the closure of these barracks. From the Minister's point of view, it seems the dye is cast and that is a cause of concern because it seems to be very like what is happening with our local hospitals. Government thinking seems to be to centralise and close down small and local services as in the case of the health service. That seems to be the Minister's intention when it comes to small local barracks, regardless of the consequences for the military personnel, their families and the towns associated with them.
I thank the Deputy and call the Minister to respond.
Could the Minister give those people some assurance that he is not already recommending these closures and that his priority is to keep those barracks open and cause the least possible disruption to these families and towns?
I welcome the Deputy's support for our Defence Forces and I know he would agree with me that they perform a very important function both in serving the civil power domestically within this State and in the work they have undertaken under the auspices of the UN in a variety of peacekeeping missions across the world. My concern is to ensure we continue to retain within the Defence Forces the maximum capability to meet the obligations imposed on the Defence Forces and that the Defence Forces continue to have the capacity to engage in complex peacekeeping missions such as the one currently taking place in southern Lebanon where I visited some ten days ago.
I have to ensure, within the limited financial resource that is available, that we apply our funding in a manner that is efficient. In terms of the barracks as I have said, I would very much take account of advice I receive from the military on the strategic benefits of the retention, or otherwise, of particular barracks and on how to maximise operational capacities. That advice is fed into the process that is being currently conducted under the review of expenditure and I regard that advice as of key importance.
I remind the Deputy in case he does not realise it that, in the context of barrack location, the original decisions made about barrack location and their strategic importance were not based on the needs of this State as an independent State and the obligations of the Defence Forces to serve the civil power and to engage in UN missions. The primary thought process that went into the location of barracks was by the British sometime between 1750 and 1850 when they strategically decided where to locate barracks in order to contain the rebellious Irish. We have moved on somewhat from that particular historical analysis of where barracks should be located.
We have certainly moved on from the rebellious Irish in terms of this Government's approach to dealing with the troika — that is for sure. Setting aside that issue, the Minister seems to be suggesting that his advice is primarily being dictated by the military considerations of the heads of the Army, the officers and so on, while my concern is primarily for the rank and file military personnel, their families, the towns with which they are associated and the detrimental effect barrack closures might have on them.
In the Minister's consideration of this as a financial matter, is the Government taking a holistic approach or is one Department doing something which may ultimately cost the State money elsewhere? There is little benefit in cutting costs in one area if there is a further negative, knock-on impact on a town, increased transport costs incurred in travelling to upgraded barrack locations, costs associated with the upgrading or centralisation of barracks, social welfare costs that may ensue and the long-term impact on a town of a barrack closure. The Minister said there is no evidence of people uprooting immediately because a barracks has closed but in the long term the closure will have a medium to long-term effect on the town as personnel migrate to other locations over time.
I note with interest some of the questions raised by the Deputy. He asked was my approach to this being dictated by military personnel. Of course, military personnel do not dictate to the Minister for Defence, but they have the expertise to give advice to the Minister for Defence as to what are the strategic necessities when it comes to barracks location and how to best maximise the capability of the Defence Forces. I take account and assess the accuracy of that advice, and give it serious consideration.
I was not aware that Deputy Boyd Barrett had any great expertise in matters of military strategy and, indeed, I would be interested if he had so that he might share it with me.
I would be happy to.
I thought Deputy Boyd Barrett's view would be that we should not have a defence force at all and I am taken by his concerns for the Defence Forces.
In the context of Deputy Boyd Barrett's comment about costs, the cost of providing services, be they through the Defences Forces or through any other arm of Government, do not seem to be a concern to him. He seems to be flaithiúlach with the taxpayers' money and, obviously, operates from an ideological perspective where he believes, as I used to do as a child, that money grows on trees. Sadly, that is not the case.
Unless one is a banker, of course.
Sadly, the reality is that in order to pay currently the wages of the Defence Forces, of teachers, doctors and nurses, and of many others in the public service, we are dependent on two factors: first, complying with the EU-IMF agreement and reducing our borrowing requirements, and second, the continued receipt of money to make up the difference between what the State receives and spends. I have a definite obligation as Minister for Defence to ensure that funding is spent wisely; that we maximise the usefulness of the financial resources available to us; that we do not waste money to the detriment of taxpayers; and, as part and parcel of the review that is taking place, that the Department of Defence operates to the maximum efficiency. Indeed, the Department is the most efficient Department of all of the Departments of Government in the manner in which it applies resources. It is my obligation to ensure not only that that continues, but we make further improvements in that area.
Defence Forces Recruitment
David Stanton
Question:8 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 130 of 28 September 2011, the progress that has been made with the recruitment of additional doctors to the Medical Corps; the number of doctors currently serving in the Permanent Defence Force; the locations at which these doctors are posted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31562/11]
A competition for the appointment of doctors to the Medical Corps was advertised. Unfortunately, there was a limited response and only two applications are currently being processed in this regard. The competition remains open and a further advertisement will be published shortly. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis but it will obviously take some time before the current target of 32 doctors in the Defence Forces can be achieved. Against that background, alternative arrangements to address the ongoing shortfall in medical officers are being developed by the central medical unit in consultation with the Department, including the potential to retain contracted doctors or a contracted medical service provider to meet the deficiencies.
There are currently 16 doctors serving in the Permanent Defence Force and the following table, which will be circulated, shows the locations where those doctors are currently posted.
|
Number |
Location |
|
Director/Deputy Director, Medical Corps |
2 |
|
St. Bricin’s Hospital |
3 |
|
Eastern Brigade |
1 |
|
Southern Brigade |
3 |
|
Western Brigade |
2 |
|
Defence Forces Training Centre |
2 |
|
Naval Service |
1 |
|
Overseas |
1 |
|
Leave of Absence |
1 |
|
Total |
16 |
The PA Consulting review of the Defence Forces medical services was completed in 2009, with the implementation of the review's recommendations progressing. An important part of the implementation has been the establishment of a new structure for the Medical Corps.
This new structure brings all medical personnel under one central command, the central medical unit. This unit will have responsibility for the management and delivery of medical services, including the allocation of medical resources across the system based on operational requirements and demands. This will allow for resources to be deployed and redeployed more flexibly across the system whilst at the same time centrally managing demand and capacity to deliver services. However, the primary objective at this stage is to secure sufficient medical officers to deliver the medical service.
Would the Minister agree that this is a matter of some concern, in particular, when one takes into account that one of the major roles of medical doctors in the Defence Forces is assessing personnel to decide whether they are fit to continue in the Defence Forces or should be discharged? Is the Minister aware of any delays in this procedure? Would he agree that some other method, such as the contracting of doctors, should be brought into play as a matter of urgency and can he give a little more information as to the position in that regard?
We have been contracting doctors; that has been the alternative. The ideal in the PA Consulting report shows that there would be 32 permanent members of the Medical Corps. The difficulty in reality is that posts have been advertised, funding is available to fill those posts but too few applications from appropriately qualified doctors have been received.
This is an issue that has been a matter of some concern to me and to the Defence Forces, but there is no gap in the provision of medical services because in the context of the shortfall of numbers who are part of the Permanent Defence Forces, doctors have been contracted and, indeed, local medical practitioners are also available for use.
There is no question of appropriate medical assessments not being undertaken or of appropriate medical treatment not being provided where that is required, but I would prefer to be in a position where the PA Consulting report in this context had been fully implemented. I believe my predecessor had some difficulty in that regard and it remains a difficulty.
Is the Minister considering any other strategy to attract doctors to enlist in the Permanent Defence Forces? Are there any particular reasons there is such disinterest? Is it the way there is a lack of doctors out there who are interested and trained?
Would the Minister undertake to inquire whether there are delays in medical board dealings with personnel? I understand that there may be some difficulties in that area.
Essentially, part of the issue may be that there are pay issues in the context of the constraints on the pay available for the recruitment of doctors.
There are also career issues with regard to doctors who have become part of the medical service within what is, by international standards, a small defence force. Some medical practitioners do not see that there is a substantial career advancement to be effected as a medic as such once they are employed in general medical issues within the Defence Forces.
Coming back to the question Deputy Stanton raised originally, the central medical unit does use the service of civilian medical practitioners to provide backup to the medical corps in ensuring that the health care requirements of all Defence Force personnel are met and civilian doctors and dentists are employed on an ongoing sessional basis, both inside and outside barracks, to maintain the services required.
In addition, the medical unit, in consultation with the Department, is looking at the potential to retain contracted doctors or, as I stated earlier, a contracted medical provider service. One may have, in the context of a particular barracks, a doctor who has worked within a community but who is contracted also to the Defence Forces but who is not a member of the Defence Forces as the 16 who have been recruited would be.
It strikes me that this is a job that would challenge somebody. The Defence Forces have been ahead of the curve in terms of recruitment campaigns that attracted applicants. Apart from pay issues, have they reviewed the reasons for the lack of response to the advertisement and have they had any consultations with the Medical Council or with any of the medical educational facilities with a view to encouraging academic credits for those who may be willing to spend a few years in the Defence Forces?
To address the question Deputy Calleary has raised, if one looks at what I describe as the role of the medical officer in the Defence Forces first, basically, it is a specialist officer who practises medicine, not only at home but abroad. One of the attractions of joining the Defence Forces as a medic is the opportunity to accompany forces abroad in circumstances that would be quite different from providing a medical practice at home — there is one medic in the Lebanon at present.
The medical practice focuses on health protection, education, primary care and environmental medicine. In addition to their medical role, medical officers are expected to lead and manage the personnel of the medical corps.
One must realise that, for example, if on a mission abroad a member of the Defence Forces took seriously ill and required medical surgery, the doctor accompanying the medical corps who was abroad with them would not be the person usually to undertake that type of surgery. There are medical personnel from states with far greater numbers in their defence forces and who within their defence forces retain the specialties required in different surgical areas to provide that type of expertise. The Defence Forces are small and funding is limited. A general practitioner joining the Defence Forces is unlikely to advance in a medical career. Such a person may be promoted by the Army but is unlikely to advance beyond being a general medical practitioner who has developed some specialised knowledge in the area of medical problems arising in an army or naval context. There is a limit to what one can achieve as a medical practitioner within the Defence Forces. I will use this opportunity to say that the Defence Forces provide a singular opportunity for young, well-qualified medics to experience a very interesting engagement for a period of their lives in a form of public service that gives rise to opportunities they would not normally have. I am very hopeful that in the current financial climate the new advertising campaign might attract more applications than was the case previously.
Defence Forces Reserve
Niall Collins
Question:9 Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Defence the current strength of the Reserve Defence Force; his plans for the strength of the RDF over the next year; the status of the value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31334/11]
I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, as at 30 September 2011, was: First Line Reserve, 287; Army Reserve, 5,138; and Naval Service Reserve, 224.
The number of personnel that can be recruited to the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve is dependent on the funding available for paid training. The 2011 budget provided for approximately 30,000 paid training man days. These man days provide for annual paid training for existing members of the reserve, for targeted developmental training, such as career courses and skills courses, and for certain training for new recruits.
The level of recruitment to the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve must be balanced to ensure that appropriate training and development opportunities for all members of the reserve are maintained. The 2011 provision allowed for the training of approximately 200 recruits only. The number of available man days in the coming year will be dependent on budget 2012 which has not yet been determined. Accordingly, there have been no decisions regarding recruitment in 2012.
A value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force commenced in February 2010. Significant progress has been made and work is ongoing. Other priorities such as the comprehensive review of expenditure have drawn on the team undertaking the value for money review of the RDF. This has resulted in the need to extend the time required to complete the review.
Finalisation and recommendations arising from the value for money review will also have to take account of the outcome of the comprehensive review of expenditure.
I thank the Minister for his reply. The numbers in the RDF seem to be falling consistently. Are other issues at play other than budgetary issues? For instance, are there challenges or management issues within the RDF? Will the report be just a value for money report or will it consider operational issues and the future role of the RDF? Will the report examine issues other than money?
The reasons for the fall in the numbers are twofold. One reason is the limited amount of funding available from the December 2010 budget which applied to the Estimates for 2011. Funding was made available for no more than 200 recruits. Work is ongoing on the total numbers in the RDF and also the number of those actively in the reserve. There was always a significant difference between the two. The value for money review is just that; the Defence Green Paper may well address the issue of the future use of the RDF, what changes might be made to the overall benefit of the community and to the reserve itself. However, before we progress through that issue, some very serious decisions must be made during the month of November as we face into the December 2011 budget. I cannot anticipate those decisions. The man days provided for the reserve for training purposes for 2011 were substantially less than were provided for 2010 in the December 2009 budget. This is an issue.
The position of the reserve is somewhat on hold pending the completion of the two reviews being undertaken and the final difficult budgetary decisions that must be made.
Overseas Missions
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:10 Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence his plans for overseas missions involving Irish military personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31566/11]
Ireland has offered, through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System, UNSAS, to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This figure equates to some 10% of Ireland's standing Army, excluding reserves, and demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. This is the maximum sustainable commitment that Ireland can make to overseas peacekeeping operations.
Ireland is currently contributing 524 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement. I have detailed the missions in replies to previous parliamentary questions.
The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed, are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, with 454 personnel; the NATO-led International Security presence, KFOR, in Kosovo with 12 personnel; the EU Training Mission, EUTM, Somalia with five personnel;the EU-led operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with seven personnel; the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, in Afghanistan with seven personnel.
From time to time, Ireland receives requests for participation in various missions and these are considered on a case-by-case basis. When considering any particular request, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate which has the potential to contribute to a political solution, consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy and the degree of risk involved, are among the factors considered.
Apart from the recent deployment of a battalion to UNIFIL and the appointment of Colonel Michael Beary in August 2011 to the post of mission commander for EUTM Somalia, no other deployments are planned or envisaged at this time.
|
Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas as of 1st October 2011 |
||
|
1 |
UN Missions |
|
|
(i) |
UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ |
10 |
|
UNIFIL 104 Infantry Battalion |
436 |
|
|
Sector West HQ |
8 |
|
|
(ii) |
UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) — Israel, Syria and Lebanon |
11 |
|
(iii) |
MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) |
3 |
|
(iv) |
MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) |
3 |
|
(v) |
UNOCI (United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast) |
2 |
|
Total |
473 |
|
|
UN Mandated Missions |
||
|
(vi) |
EUFOR (EU-led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
7 |
|
(vii) |
EUTM Somalia (EU-led Training Mission in Uganda) |
5 |
|
(viii) |
KFOR (International Security Presence in Kosovo) — HQ |
12 |
|
(ix) |
ISAF (International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) |
7 |
|
Total Number of Personnel Serving with UN Missions |
504 |
|
|
2 |
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) |
|
|
(i) |
OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina |
2 |
|
(ii) |
OSCE Mission in Belgrade — Serbia |
1 |
|
(iii) |
Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna |
1 |
|
Total Number of Personnel Serving OSCE |
4 |
|
|
3 |
EU Military Staff |
|
|
Brussels |
7 |
|
|
4 |
Military Representatives/Advisers/Staff |
|
|
(i) |
Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York |
1 |
|
(ii) |
Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna |
1 |
|
(iii) |
Military Representative to EU (Brussels) |
4 |
|
(iv) |
Liaison Office of Ireland, NATO/PfP (Brussels) |
2 |
|
(v) |
Military Representative to NATO/PfP Co-ordination Cell/Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium |
1 |
|
Total Number of Defence Forces Personnel Serving Overseas |
524 |
Has Deputy Pringle a question?
Deputy Boyd Barrett has obviously lost interest in peacekeeping missions. At least he is interested in the welfare of members of the Defence Forces
There must be a protest.
Civil Defence
Micheál Martin
Question:11 Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Defence the proposed timeline for the reintegration of the Civil Defence organisation into the Army; when it is proposed to introduce the Civil Defence (repeal) Bill; and if he has had consultations with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on this matter. [31346/11]
At the Cabinet meeting on 12 July the Government approved a proposal to begin drafting legislation to transfer the functions of the Civil Defence Board back into the Department of Defence. The heads of the Civil Defence (repeal) Bill were subsequently agreed by Government on 30 August last. The Bill is currently being drafted and it is anticipated it will be published in early 2012.
If enacted, the Bill will repeal the Civil Defence Act 2002, dissolve the Civil Defence Board and transfer its functions, property, rights, liabilities and other responsibilities to the Department of Defence. Such changes will not have any impact on Civil Defence operations nationally and Civil Defence will continue to operate from Roscrea but will do so as a branch of the Department of Defence.
There have been consultations recently between officials from my Department and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The importance of the vital role in emergency response played by some 4,000 Civil Defence volunteers nationally cannot be underestimated.
As recently as Monday evening last, large numbers of volunteers responded to the major flooding incident that occurred along the east coast. At 6.30 p.m. on Monday evening, a Civil Defence evacuation centre was established at Dublin Civil Defence headquarters on Wolfe Tone Quay and more than 100 volunteers were called into action during the course of that night. The response also included the provision of a catering unit, ten fire tenders, two water pumps, and eight ambulances, two of which were equipped with four-wheel drive. A total of six families were accommodated during the night before later being transported back to relatives. Civil Defence also set up an evacuation centre in Marino.
Using high sided vehicles, Civil Defence volunteers also evacuated people from the East Wall Road and Ballsbridge areas to local hotels. Volunteers also transported nurses and staff to and from Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross and Crumlin children's hospital. Volunteers also towed a number of cars out of flood water to prevent obstruction and filled sandbags in a number of areas badly affected throughout the city. These operations continued until after 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Operations in Dublin resumed again yesterday evening when 50 volunteers were deployed until midnight in Howth, Clondalkin and Dundrum and were mainly involved in pumping flood waters from underground car parks.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
In County Kildare, 18 volunteers and four, four-wheel drive vehicles were deployed from 6.30 p.m. on Monday evening until 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. Assistance was provided to the Garda Síochána with traffic control on the N7, and to the local fire service in providing sandbags for a housing estate in Johnstown.
In County Wicklow, 50 volunteers, three flood response vehicles, an ambulance and a minibus were deployed on Monday as Civil Defence responded to calls for sandbags and other duties all over the county. Volunteers assisted Wicklow County Council's planned evacuation of 500 houses in Bray — which, thankfully, did not have to be carried out as water levels receded. Civil Defence also provided a boat and volunteers to assist in the search for missing Garda Ciaran Jones, who sadly lost his life in tragic circumstances.
I join the Minister in paying tribute to the Civil Defence for its work over the past 48 hours and its daily work throughout the country. It is in the context of the work in which it was involved on Monday night that I am concerned about this legislation, in that the effort in Dublin on Monday night was co-ordinated by Dublin City Council, the local authority. The fact the Civil Defence is currently practically merged with the local authorities ensures its response is more immediate and more locally focused than it might be if it was recentralised into the military side. I am concerned the local knowledge and management that makes the Civil Defence so effective will be lost in the implementation of the new legislation.
I would also like to pay tribute to those members of the Civil Defence who joined in the search for Garda Ciaran Jones, at considerable personal risk. They deserve particular tribute. That was a local search co-ordinated locally. I am concerned we will lose that important local element in this new legislation.
That is central to my thinking and there is no question of that occurring. We are simply abolishing a quango that has not proved to have a necessary function. The connection between the Civil Defence and local authorities will continue and will not be affected in any shape or form.
I join the Deputy in paying tribute to the Civil Defence. On behalf of the Government I thank all members of the Civil Defence for their outstanding work in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I referred previously to events in Dublin. It is also right to note that in County Kildare, 18 volunteers and four 4X4 vehicles were deployed from 6.30 p.m. on Monday evening until 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning and assistance was provided to the Garda with traffic control on the N7 and to the local fire service in providing sandbags for a housing estate in Johnstown. In County Wicklow, 50 volunteers, three flood response vehicles, an ambulance and a minibus were deployed on Monday as the Civil Defence responded to calls for sandbags and took part in other duties all over the county. Volunteers assisted Wicklow County Council's planned evacuation of 500 houses in Bray, which thankfully did not have to be carried out as water levels receded. Civil Defence also provided a boat and volunteers to assist in the search for the missing garda, Ciaran Jones, who sadly and tragically lost his life in the floodwaters.
I also acknowledge that in County Monaghan some 14 Civil Defence volunteers were on active duty on Monday last. A Civil Defence boat was used to assist the local authority in the Carrickmacross area, while a first aid team treated elderly people who were evacuated from their homes in Ballybay. Volunteers were also involved in the deployment of sandbags and in transporting local authority housing staff to access dwellings in the worst affected areas. The outstanding performance of members of the Civil Defence team and corps right across the country deserves the acknowledgement and congratulations not just of Government, but of everyone in this House and the entire community. Yet again, it demonstrated the extraordinary community commitment and the bravery that attaches to that commitment.
I join the Minister in paying tribute to all those involved in the catalogue of achievements he has outlined that took place over this 48 hours. They are phenomenal achievements and they were achieved by volunteers, people who were going about their daily business at 5 p.m. on Monday and suddenly became involved in the situation.
However the new legislation is framed, it is important the Minister involves the members of the Civil Defence in some way so that they will have an input into the legislation and the new arrangements for that body.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that it is crucial that members of the Civil Defence continue to be employed for their knowledge of local community, their involvement with local communities and for the interconnectivity between them and local authorities. I intend that is how matters will continue and there will be nothing in the legislation that will give cause for concern in that context.
Emergency Response Agencies
Denis Naughten
Question:12 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied with the level of support available to the Defence Forces to deal with severe weather emergencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31327/11]
While the Defence Forces are not a principal response agency, as defined in the framework for major emergency management, they provide assistance in an Aid to the Civil Authority, ATCA, role under the multi-agency framework. Representation on the Government task force, by both my Department and the Defence Forces, ensures the fullest co-ordination and co-operation with the appropriate lead Department in the event of an emergency. The Defence Forces are also members of eight regional working groups that have been established under the framework in order to co-ordinate the work of the principal response agencies. Furthermore, on an ongoing basis, designated members of the Defence Forces, based around the country, act as liaison officers to local authorities and I am satisfied that this arrangement works well locally.
The various procedures that are in place, both nationally and locally, were seen to operate very effectively last winter as the Defence Forces responded to all requests for assistance received from the civil authorities during the period of severe weather which ran from 27 November to 26 December 2010. During this period, all assets, resources and capabilities of the Defence Forces nationally were made available to the task force, and its inter-agency co-ordination committee, for the purpose of providing assistance where it was not possible for other agencies and organisations to respond.
The inter-agency co-ordination committee, which met almost daily throughout the emergency, requested that, strategically, the Defence Forces would concentrate its support effort on the Health Service Executive, mainly with regard to mobility tasks. Approximately 70% of all ATCA operations conducted by the Defence Forces were in support of the HSE. This proved to be a very effective approach as transport was provided to HSE staff such as palliative care and community nurses visiting patients and in the transport of health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, to their place of work and between hospitals as the need arose. Assistance was also provided to those involved in the delivery of meals on wheels while focused ice and snow clearing operations were also carried out throughout the country, with particular efforts being made to maintain the safety of public infrastructure and key transport hubs.
A report on the review of the response to the severe weather events of 2009-2010 was recently published. I believe that the response of the Defence Forces proved to be extremely effective. Preparations to cope with the possibility of severe weather occurring during this coming winter are ongoing. Members of the interdepartmental working group on emergency planning, on which my Department and the Defence Forces are represented, are currently working to further develop a "whole of Government" approach to preparing for severe weather. A special meeting of the Government task force on emergency planning is scheduled for early November, when I will be briefed by Departments and agencies regarding their winter preparedness measures. Following that meeting, there will be an information campaign to let the public know what measures have been taken and what people can do for themselves in order to be better prepared in the event of severe weather occurring.
I too want to acknowledge the work and the role of the Civil Defence and the Defence Forces, both recently and over the severe weather crises we have seen over the past number of years.
I wish to focus on one aspect of this work, the support provided to the HSE. Last winter, the Defence Forces provided substantial support throughout the country. One of the recommendations of the working group report is the purchase of key pieces of equipment that will be required in emergencies in the future. From a value for money perspective, it is not good value for the type of equipment that is only used in emergencies to be left lying idle. Would it not be better if strategic equipment, such as field ambulances and high body six-wheeled vehicles that can access flooded areas were purchased by the Defence Forces and made available where required?
What is the situation now with regard to the Air Corps and the grounded helicopters in the context of emergency evacuations that may be required where it is not possible to access a community in any other way?
As the Deputy will know, the Defence Forces hold a wide range of engineering and transport plant and equipment for military purposes and all such plant and equipment suitable for use in emergencies and severe weather situations is made available as the need arises. The type of plant and equipment suitable for use includes: a 40 tonne crane; a heavy duty fork-lift; tracked and wheeled excavators; bulldozers; articulated dump trucks; integrated tool transport carriers; materials; handlers; water purification plants; and a variety of smaller plant excavators, generators, lighting sets, pumping equipment, water trailers and other items.
In the context of the snow event that occurred last winter, it was a particularly unusual event. There is an issue in circumstances where there are limited resources available as to how to make best use of resources as to what plant and equipment should be purchased and as to whether it is likely that such plant and equipment will be used or whether it could end up being stored for many years and not utilised. A broad range of issues arise in respect of which judgments must be made. I am anxious to ensure any essential equipment required for regular use is available so people's safety can be secured when at risk and so that people can be accessed in snow, flooding or where other climatic issues arise. This issue has been under review and the emergency task force will consider it further at our forthcoming meetings.
Does it not make more sense that the Defence Forces purchases equipment such as field ambulances and six-wheel vehicles with high bodies to be used in emergencies when they would be put to good use, rather than local authorities or civil defence teams purchasing them? We have the potential for serious issues this winter and, in an emergency, if someone must be transported from an isolated rural community such as those in County Roscommon to Galway University Hospital, we must consider how we will get them out. What steps are being taken to ensure the Air Corps has the capability to airlift patients out when no other vehicle can gain access?
The Air Corps has certain capabilities in that context. Recently, I visited Baldonnel and I had the opportunity to look at the helicopters that are available and talk to some of those in the Air Corps who have medical expertise and who engage in air and sea rescues and who also have the capacity to engage in the activity Deputy Naughten outlined. In an emergency, they would be available to assist the civil power. As we saw across the country this week, it is of crucial importance that the Civil Defence, which plays a very particular and important role, has essential facilities available, such as ambulances and other equipment. This was deployed with great effect in the events that took place on Monday evening. In circumstances where limited resources are available, judgments must be made about where equipment can be best positioned, whether it should be purchased and retained at local authority level or whether it should be acquired by the Civil Defence or the Defence Forces. Careful judgments must be made in circumstances of limited financial resources.
I cannot predict what weather we will experience this winter, any more than any other Member can. The weather events on Monday evening were extremely unusual, as were the snows of last winter. We do not know if we will have that experience again this winter or if it will not be repeated for five, ten or 15 years. Judgments must be made about resources and their location. I am familiar with some of the equipment to which Deputy Naughten refers, including the six-wheel vehicles, having seen them in use in the United States in major snow emergencies. They are usually purchased only in states that repeatedly experience the type of snow we had last winter, often for weeks on end.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.