Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2023

Vol. 1033 No. 4

Civil Defence Bill 2023: Second Stage

Minister for Defence (Deputy Micheál Martin)

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to present this Bill to the House. The purpose of this relatively short but important Bill is to modernise and reform the current legislative basis for the Civil Defence organisation. There is a requirement to do this as the existing regulatory framework, consisting of enactments dating from 1939 to 2012, no longer provides a comprehensive statutory basis for civil defence matters.

I welcome the opportunity afforded by this debate to acknowledge and to pay a warm tribute to the Civil Defence organisation and, in particular, the local Civil Defence volunteers who are based in every county in the State. As the House will be aware, Civil Defence volunteers have a proud tradition of supporting the principal response agencies in dealing with a wide variety of emergency situations such as severe weather and searching for missing persons. Civil Defence volunteers also support community events every week. In recent years, Civil Defence has played an integral role in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the provision of support to Ukrainians seeking protection in Ireland. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Civil Defence volunteers provided significant support within their communities in every county across the State. Approximately 9,500 tasks were undertaken by Civil Defence volunteers during this period in support of the local authorities, the HSE and An Garda Síochána.

In recognition of the role played by Civil Defence volunteers during the pandemic, a specially designed medal was commissioned for the almost 1,500 members involved in supporting the national response to Covid-19. Deputies may recall the recent event held in Croke Park on the 29 November last year at which medals were presented to a large number of volunteers from all around the State.

Since March 2022, Civil Defence units have been actively involved in supporting Ukrainians seeking protection in Ireland. This has included setting up and operating temporary rest centres. Volunteers have also transported Ukrainians to and from their accommodation and to meetings for school registration, medical appointments and so on.

These are just some examples of the invaluable support provided by Civil Defence volunteers on an ongoing basis to local communities throughout the State. The commitment to volunteering, which is integral to the successful operation of Civil Defence, is a clear demonstration of the very best in Irish society.

The purpose of the Bill, as I mentioned, is to replace the current suite of legislation relating to the Civil Defence, which comprises the Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 to 1946 and the Civil Defence Act 2012, with a comprehensive and updated Civil Defence Act.

Civil Defence, which was established in 1951, is a State-funded, volunteer-based organisation with a nationwide footprint supporting the principal response agencies, as well as local communities. Over the years, Civil Defence has operated in accordance with the provisions of the Air-Raid Precautions Acts, 1939 to 1946. Although Civil Defence Bills were enacted in 2002 and 2012, there has been no comprehensive updating of civil defence legislation to replace the Air-Raid Precautions Acts. These enactments dating back to the late 1930s and the 1940s were framed in a very different era and are no longer adequate for the ongoing and future development of Civil Defence.

The White Paper on Defence 2015 included a commitment to replace existing legislation concerning Civil Defence with a more modern aggregated legislative basis. The White Paper also stated that the future of Civil Defence will continue to be developed around its central strategic objective of supporting the principal response agencies, namely An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and local authorities, in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations.

A policy document Civil Defence - Towards 2030 published by the Department in 2020 sets out the core roles and services of Civil Defence. Towards 2030 emphasised the volunteer ethos of the Civil Defence organisation. The preparation of the policy document involved consultation with all stakeholders including Civil Defence officers, Civil Defence volunteers, the Civil Defence interagency guidance team, and the principal response agencies, including local authorities who are responsible for the day-to-day management of Civil Defence.

The Bill, therefore, follows on from the commitment in the White Paper on Defence regarding the preparation of revised Civil Defence legislation and from the publication in 2020 of Civil Defence - Towards 2030. It is important to note that, although the Bill does not set out any major departures from existing policy, the new legislation ensures that there is a comprehensive legislative basis for the operation of Civil Defence.

The Bill reaffirms the continuing role at a national level of the Department of Defence in managing and developing the overall strategies and policies regarding Civil Defence matters and sets out the ongoing responsibility of the local authorities for operational matters such as the recruitment of volunteers and the delivery of Civil Defence services.

The legislation, therefore, builds on the long-standing and successful model whereby local authorities manage the local operations of Civil Defence with the support at a central government level of the Department of Defence. Within the Department, the Civil Defence branch, which has been based for many years in Roscrea, is responsible for civil defence matters, including the training of instructors who deliver training courses for Civil Defence volunteers around the country.

As regards financial matters, I can confirm that the long-standing funding model for the Civil Defence whereby funding is provided by both the Department of Defence and local authorities will remain unchanged under this legislation. During 2022, €3.6 million in grant funding was provided by my Department to the 28 local authority Civil Defence units.

Under the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the general scheme of this Bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. As part of this process, my officials made a presentation to the committee regarding the draft legislative proposals. There was also constructive engagement and discussion between committee members and my officials on the proposed Bill. Following the presentation, the committee agreed that it would not undertake further pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill.

I will now outline briefly the main provisions of the Bill. Section 1 contains definitions. It is a standard section that provides definitions for key terms used in the Bill.

Section 2, which relates to functions of Minister relating to civil defence, sets out the responsibility of the Minister for Defence for the overall policies and strategies relating to civil defence. The section also makes provision for the Minister to undertake a range of general functions relating to civil defence, including the provision of various services in support of local authorities. The section also sets out the requirement for local authorities to comply with any directions concerning civil defence matters issued by the Minister under this legislation.

Section 3 relates to the provision within specified time limits of information by a local authority to the Minister for Defence concerning civil defence matters.

Section 4 relates to the establishment by each local authority of a dedicated Civil Defence unit for the purpose of providing civil defence services in the administrative area of that local authority. The section includes provisions enabling a local authority to make arrangements concerning the establishment of a joint Civil Defence unit with one or more other local authorities, as is the case, for example, in Dublin, for the purposes of providing shared civil defence services in the administrative areas of the local authorities. Any such arrangement shall be subject to the consent of the Minister for Defence. Essentially, this section provides in an updated manner for the continuation of the existing arrangements as they relate to the operation of Civil Defence units at local authority level.

Section 5 relates to the employment by local authorities of Civil defence officers. The role of Civil Defence officers is important as they manage the operation of civil defence at a local authority level, including the registration, training and management of Civil Defence volunteers. The section also includes necessary provisions concerning the numbers of Civil Defence officers employed by each local authority and their terms and conditions.

Section 6 relates to the appointment of persons as Civil Defence volunteers by local authorities. The section sets out that the Minister may give directions to local authorities concerning Civil Defence volunteers. These directions include: the persons eligible to be a Civil Defence volunteer; how applications to be a Civil Defence volunteer should be made; the requirement on applicants to undergo vetting by the National Vetting Bureau; mandatory conditions that will apply to a Civil Defence volunteer, including conditions concerning training, attendance and adherence to any Civil Defence code of practice that may be in place.

Section 7 provides for the mandatory establishment by each local authority of a register of persons serving as Civil Defence volunteers in that local authority area. The intention is that the register will be maintained in an electronic form. Currently, local authorities are required to maintain a similar register under the Civil Defence Act. Any such register currently maintained by local authorities shall be deemed to be the register for the purpose of this Act. On the commencement of the legislation, the title of the existing register will change from the "Register of Civil Defence Members" to the "Register of Civil Defence Volunteers" so as to more appropriately reflect the voluntary nature of civil defence. The electronic register of Civil Defence volunteers will be maintained by local authorities and will include a range of information as specified in the section.

Care has been taken during the preparation of this section to reaffirm that any personal data held on the register is stored and processed subject to compliance with data protection legislation. Access to the information in the register will be strictly limited to persons specified in the legislation. The section also provides that a volunteer can inspect the register in respect of their personal information and, if necessary, seek to have any errors corrected. Data entered on the register shall only be retained for as long as necessary and in accordance with data protection legislation. In that regard, a number of legislative safeguards are included in the section to ensure full compliance with data protection requirements. In line with the provisions of section 84(12) of the Data Protection Act 2018, consultation took place with the Data Protection Commission regarding the provisions in the legislation concerning the processing of personal data held on the register.

Section 8 updates existing provisions concerning the preparation by local authorities of civil defence plans. A civil defence plan sets out the key objectives and strategies of a local authority in the operation of the Civil Defence in the local authority area. The plan will be reviewed and, if necessary, updated at least every three years and the Minister may direct a local authority to make specific amendments to the plan. Under the new legislation, a local authority will be obliged to publish the civil defence plan once it has been approved by the Minister for Defence.

Section 9 restates in an updated form the long-standing arrangements under which the Minister for Defence provides grant funding to local authorities in support of civil defence activities. The funding provided shall not exceed in a year a maximum of 70% of civil defence expenditure, unless prior approval is received from the Minister by a local authority. The section also provides that a local authority may, with the approval of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, incur expenses relating to civil defence.

Section 10 relates to the making by the Minister for Defence of regulations concerning codes of practice for Civil Defence volunteers. A code of practice made under this section may set out matters such as: procedures relating to the suspension and revocation by local authorities of the registration of persons as Civil Defence volunteers; grievance and disciplinary procedures for Civil Defence volunteers; and the standards of conduct and integrity for Civil Defence volunteers in carrying out their duties.

Section 11 is a standard provision providing that expenses incurred will be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.

Section 12 is another standard section concerning the making of regulations.

Section 13 provides for the repeal of the Air Raid Precautions Acts 1939 and 1946 and the Civil Defence Act 2012. I mentioned earlier that these enactments comprise the existing suite of legislation concerning civil defence matters and they are being replaced with this modern piece of legislation.

Section 14 provides for a number of necessary transitional provisions which are required as the existing enactments relating to civil defence are being repealed.

Finally, section 15 is a standard provision that deals with the Short Title as well as arrangements for the commencement of the legislation. In summary, while this is a relatively short Bill, it is necessary to better support the important work of the Civil Defence and the almost 2,700 Civil Defence volunteers. There will be an opportunity on Committee Stage for a more detailed discussion on this legislation. The implementation of this legislation will provide the Civil Defence with the necessary legislative basis to operate effectively and to continue to serve communities across the country. I am pleased to submit this legislation for the consideration of the House. I commend it to the House.

Deputy Sorca Clarke

I wish to share time with Deputies O'Reilly and Ward.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor)

There are three speakers. Deputy Clarke has ten minutes and Deputies O'Reilly and Ward will each have five minutes. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Sorca Clarke

I welcome the opportunity to debate the Bill. It is a piece of work identified in the White Paper on Defence to provide more modern aggregated legislation. Sinn Féin supports the Bill and the context in which the Bill is being brought forward. While the Bill does not propose any radical changes regarding the operation of the Civil Defence, we welcome the move to amend what is a convoluted regulatory framework consisting of enactments from as far back as 1939 to one single Bill that clearly sets out the role and responsibilities of the Civil Defence, the local authorities, the Departments and the Minister. We recognise the need for the reform and the value it can provide to the Civil Defence organisation.

I thank the Department's officials who came before the committee for the time they took to answer the questions and to address the issues raised by the committee.

The Civil Defence today is a much-changed organisation compared with when it was first established in 1951. The nature of its undertakings has moved from those of an organisation originally designed to be a necessary civil response to potential hazards based on the international politics of the day to one where its volunteers are deeply embedded in communities throughout the country. It provides supports not only to State agencies such as An Garda Síochána, the HSE and local authorities during local, regional and national emergencies, but to non-emergency events, including valuable community, sporting, charity and local events. I recognise the volunteer ethos of the Civil Defence, which is its hallmark, that is held in great regard. Over the years, Civil Defence volunteers have a long and proud history of assisting at community events and have been central to community support because those volunteers are drawn from that same community. Volunteers benefit, in turn, from the opportunity to develop and practise their skills outside of emergency events, raise their profile, and help to recruit new members. All this is done in conjunction with that primary role of emergency support through the major emergency management programme.

I will raise a number of challenges the Civil Defence face as an organisation that are not limited to any particular geographic area. These are areas of general concern. In 2015, the White Paper on defence stated: "The life-blood of Civil Defence is provided by some 4,000 volunteers who give freely of their time and commitment." The number provided to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence when departmental officials appeared before it was 2,800. I believe the Taoiseach said 2,600.

Deputy Micheál Martin

It was 2,700, I think.

Deputy Sorca Clarke

This is a significant loss of personnel, which is concerning. In those intervening years, many areas have experienced a decline in numbers as the age profile of those involved increased and the number of newer or younger members remained static or fell. Many units operate out of substandard accommodation. While I acknowledge progress has been made in recent years, I am concerned that there does not seem to be any parity of accommodation in which a local unit can grow, and extend its membership, training and functions.

I will raise two specific issues regarding the Bill. Perhaps the Minister will provide some clarification on these. Section 4(4) states: "Each local authority shall provide such accommodation". I am concerned that a number of local authorities are not in a position to provide accommodation, given the dramatic rise in costs associated with buildings. I encourage the Minister and the Department to actively engage with those local authorities, particularly where another State body may have unused buildings in the location that could be repurposed. Section 4(4) goes on to state: "Each local authority shall provide such accommodation and equipment as may reasonably be required for its civil defence unit". However, section 2(e) states that the Minister shall be responsible for "procuring such goods and equipment". There needs to be some clarity as to who is responsible for what equipment and when.

I will highlight another area that relates somewhat to the 70:30 funding split for the Civil Defence, specifically assets, whereby the Department is responsible for 70% and the local authority 30% of such assets. It is my understanding, following committee engagement, that the Comptroller and Auditor General has no involvement and the local authority's internal audit is responsible for those assets. Appropriate resources need to be put in place to ensure this is carried out efficiently.

I will move to section 5(1), which states that each local authority may, with the consent and approval of the Minister employ as many persons as are deemed appropriate. There are significant pressures on our local authorities to recruit and retain staff. That is a fact in many departments across most local authorities. We need to ensure that when decisions for hiring or reallocation of staff are being made that the Civil Defence is not left behind or somehow ignored. I ask the Minister to engage with local authorities on that issue. These Civil Defence officers are responsible for the day-to-day management of Civil Defence matters in their local authority area. They are the key link between the volunteer, community, local authority and the Department nationally. They are a vital cog in the mechanism.

While each local authority should have a strong, local, consistent plan that is specific to its area, synergies can also be developed on a more regional basis around that inter-local authority co-operation. This regional approach can be developed to maximise the strengths and capabilities in different local authority areas. The Minister referenced Dublin, where this is widely practised. There are areas, such as neighbouring local authorities, that have similar needs and make similar asks of their Civil Defence units. Many will be more familiar with the Civil Defence in the context of community event support for the provision of medical cover and the like.

I will be clear because we do not get an opportunity to speak about the Civil Defence. The committee has given a strong commitment that we intend to visit its headquarters in Roscrea in the next number of months. As we are here today and have the opportunity to do so, I will put on the record exactly what our Civil Defence does that many of us are not aware of because we never needed its services. It is a recognised training institute by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. Volunteers are certified as cardiac first responders and emergency medical technicians. A large number of staff who are employed in the ambulance service, give freely of their time to the Civil Defence to ensure that others are trained to such a level. The role it plays in missing person searches in support of An Garda and the Coast Guard is valuable and important to anybody whose family member is missing. The Civil Defence is fully licensed to use its drones, which are a quick, easy and effective way to extend a search parameter and they also have thermal imaging capability. Drone usage is not something many people would associate with the Civil Defence. It provides second-line support to our fire services. It has been very much to the fore during environmental and flooding events, which have affected the area in which I live over the years. I come from a county renowned for its waterways. Civil Defence members have water awareness and are also certified in basic water rescue and swift water and flood first-response. That is critical throughout counties in the midlands as is its welfare service, which includes food preparation and the safety and evacuation of displaced people.

The skill levels within the Civil Defence are phenomenal. These have never been maximised but this legislation could be the first step to achieving more for, and from, the Civil Defence. It collects soil samples for the Environmental Protection Agency. It is also the service tasked with taking radiation readings. The radiation service has a number of important and specific functions set out under the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents. Civil Defence volunteers are the people who will collect samples to monitor and assist in any control measures that will be needed after such an accident. I spoke of parity in accommodation but parity in training will also be important into the future as the Civil Defence develops and continues to grow.

This legislation should be the first of many necessary steps for the Civil Defence. There is a strong need for local leadership and management to ensure the plans that are put in place are fit for purpose and reflect the needs of local authorities, and the openness of any local authority to work with its neighbouring authority in the best interests of what is everybody's community. Coupled with the necessary resources from the Department, and training, development and equipment, the Civil Defence will grow and will continue to deliver those vital services locally and nationally. Key to that, and this is reflective of the wider defence family and much more, is the people.

The Minister mentioned the medal given to Civil Defence volunteers - they were worthy of it and it was well earned - for their contribution during the Covid pandemic. I cannot let this opportunity pass to draw the Minister's attention to the fact that no other medal has been provided to members of the Defence Forces for Operation Fortitude.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak to this important legislation which, as has been outlined, we will support.

There is not a Deputy or member of the public who has not witnessed the Civil Defence at work, often at times of need or crisis. What many people do not know is that the Civil Defence is a volunteer-based organisation and that these men and women put themselves on the line in helping emergency services and local authorities deal with severe weather, flooding, major accidents and searches for missing people. They are often present and at the ready during important social and community events, such as sports events and concerts.

That is probably from where the majority of people would be familiar with the Civil Defence uniform. It is with what we tend to associate Civil Defence members. However, when they are in their uniform and doing the more technical work, sometimes people may not realise they are the same volunteers and that it is a volunteer organisation.

We were all made aware of the fantastic work Civil Defence and its volunteers did during the pandemic. The contribution volunteers made during the Covid crisis was huge. They were essential to our front-line emergency response to the spread of coronavirus. As someone who represents coastal towns and a coastal constituency, I know how important their search-and-rescue support is. They put their lives at risk and give up their spare time to save people and to be there with families in their time of need. They show bravery, courage and a huge amount of self-sacrifice. They ask for very little in return; theirs is a quiet enough organisation.

Sometimes, however, there has been a bit of a lag in providing what they have asked for, such as the provision of training, modern equipment and appropriate accommodation. I echo the call made, reflected in the Tánaiste's remarks, that this legislation be the start of a modernisation of Civil Defence and a real, true and enduring appreciation for and recognition of the work it does. There is a need for a review of the equipment held by each unit as well as an examination of the facilities available to it.

Training has to be demand-led and developed in conjunction with Civil Defence to provide opportunities for volunteers on an area-by-area basis. What one area needs another area might not, but there could be a gap to be filled in that regard.

It is very unfortunate that there has been a decline in the membership of Civil Defence, particularly in light of the range of skills and the work it can do, as my colleague, Deputy Clarke, outlined. It is to be hoped this legislation will be a very important step on the road to ensuring that the training, the equipment, etc., match up. A greater focus on promoting and recruiting members into Civil Defence is very necessary. I hope that the Tánaiste will take that point back to his officials and his Government colleagues and that we will be able to see that sort of improvement in the numbers. The way in which the State treats volunteers is incredibly important. The message the State sends out to people who provide services but are not full-time staff is very important.

On that, I will raise briefly a somewhat parochial issue in my area. It concerns members of the fire service who are working in Skerries and Balbriggan. They are retained firefighters, which, as the Tánaiste will know, means they are not fully employed. They do the work but they are retained, so there is a semi-volunteer aspect to it. They are registered with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, PHECC. They provided medical services during the Covid pandemic but have not received the Covid bonus. I ask that the Tánaiste look at this. It has been raised by me and others. It is something we need to look at because if we want volunteers, how we treat them is important, how the State treats them is important, and what they see in their own communities as to how their volunteer work is reflected is also incredibly important. I therefore ask the Tánaiste if he has time - I appreciate that he is busy - to take a brief look into this matter.

Deputy Mark Ward

The purpose of the Civil Defence Bill 2023 is to modernise the existing legislation relating to Civil Defence matters, which is contained within the Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 and 1946 and the Civil Defence Act 2012. Sinn Féin supports the intention of the Bill, which seeks to introduce a newer, more rounded version of multiple pieces of legislation, some of which dates back, as I said, to 1939.

Civil Defence was established in 1951 and falls under the responsibility of the Department of Defence. It has played a hugely important role in modern society. It is a statutory, volunteer-based organisation which is organised at local authority level.

The nearest Civil Defence location in my area, Dublin Mid-West, is based on the Belgard Road, at the auxiliary fire service centre. In my area of Clondalkin we have a number of very active members of Civil Defence. At this point I thank Paul, Paul Jnr., Linda, Michelle and all the other local volunteers for the vital contribution they make to our community and society in general. These members give of their time voluntarily. During the Covid restrictions, as already said, Civil Defence members were front and centre in the State's response to the pandemic. They often manned vaccination centres and testing centres at great personal risk to themselves. At the time we did not know what Covid would bring. These lads went into those centres on a purely voluntary basis and did not know what would come in front of them but they did that anyway. They put the common good before themselves. When Covid measures were lifted and other organisations and front-line workers received the pandemic bonus payment, Civil Defence members were excluded from that. They were given a medal, which was very well received and worthwhile, and a round of applause. That is what they have said to me. We owe them much more than that, and I would be happy to hear the Tánaiste's thoughts as to what recognition he thinks is appropriate.

One of the local members I know very well is a man called Paul Morgan Snr. Paul is stationed in the headquarters on Wolfe Tone Quay, Dublin. He has been a member of Civil Defence for the past 15 years. Prior to that he was in An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, FCA, in the Defence Forces, based at Cathal Brugha Barracks. I got to know Paul as my father is a retired member of the 20th battalion in Cathal Brugha Barracks and was attached to the FCA, so I got to know the FCA lads over the years through my father. Many of them have gone on to work in Civil Defence. People like Paul and other members have given a lifetime of voluntary service to the State. Over the years I have seen Paul and others like him volunteering at events across the county, including soccer matches at Tallaght Stadium. I even remember when I ran the marathon in 2018 and was struggling on the last couple of kilometres that a couple of the Civil Defence lads I knew were on the sideline. I would not say they were cheering me on - they were having a bit of a laugh - but it was all good-natured. Without those people there, there was no way any of those thousands of participants would have been able to take pace in that marathon. The St. Patrick's Day parade is coming up and, again, without the Civil Defence workers there, with the first aid and security services they provide, it would not be able to go ahead. I wanted to mention that because often that work goes unnoticed as the people are out enjoying themselves, rightly so, on our national day.

Also, Civil Defence members are proactive in bringing solutions to gaps in services in our community. I will bring Paul's son, Paul Jnr., into this. He is researching putting in place a community first responder group for the Clondalkin, Lucan and Palmerstown area. A first responder is a person trained in basic life support and the use of a defibrillator who attends actually or potentially life-threatening emergencies and is dispatched by the National Ambulance Service. Paul is seeking the support of South Dublin County Council to find suitable locations to host defibrillators. I have brought this up in the Chamber before. It is vital that any and all supports are given to Paul so he can provide this literally life-saving service. Again, all this is on a voluntary basis.

It has also been brought to my attention that Civil Defence recently received funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund. That is very welcome because it will help upgrade its fleet of vehicles, but much more is needed, as was said, as regards funding for training for its members so they can upskill and keep providing the service we have.

As I said, Sinn Féin roundly supports the intention of the Bill, but we should recognise Civil Defence and its local volunteers for the service they provide to the State a lot better than we do.

Deputy Cormac Devlin

I welcome the opportunity to examine the Civil Defence Bill 2023, which will replace the current suite of laws relating to civil defence. The main purpose of the Bill is to ensure a modern and comprehensive legislative basis for civil cefence matters. Currently, the legislative basis for Civil Defence comprises the Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 and 1946 and the Civil Defence Act 2012. The current suite of legislation dating back to the 1940s does not adequately reflect the current role of Civil Defence and, consequently, there is a requirement for new legislation.

The White Paper on Defence in 2015 set out the need to replace the existing legislation and to provide for more modern legislation governing civil defence matters. The White Paper also stated that the future of Civil Defence will continue to be developed around its central strategic objective of supporting the principal response agencies, that is, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and local authorities, in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations.

The Civil Defence was established in 1951 and its volunteers have played a prominent role in supporting front-line responders during significant emergencies such as Covid-19 most recently, Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma, the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, and the Stardust tragedy in 1981 in which 48 people lost their lives.

I pay tribute to the many volunteers of the Civil Defence, both past and present. It is a remarkable organisation. I acknowledge in particular the volunteers from my constituency of Dún Laoghaire who play an active role in supporting the Garda, the Irish Coast Guard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, RNLI, and the local authority. They were prominent during the Covid-19 response, and also during significant events and tragedies, such as fires within the county, incidents at sea and regular community events such as the Kilbogget community run. I highlight, thank and recognise Lar Griffin of the Dún Laoghaire Civil Defence for his work and that of his colleagues who do tremendous work in our area.

Civil Defence volunteers are at the heart of all communities. They have a proud history and they should be supported in their work. This Bill provides for a modern and comprehensive legislative basis for Civil Defence matters. It is welcome but it must be underpinned with financial and budgetary supports. I look forward to seeing those in the next budget.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

The legislation under which the Civil Defence currently operates is outdated. I therefore welcome this Bill to enhance the what is currently in place. I see the great work the volunteers in Carlow Civil Defence do at local level. Working with the local authority, they demonstrate the best of us. I cannot commend them enough for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic. While the headlines made it appear that blanket assistance was provided in communities, Civil Defence volunteers were a beacon of hope for many people in every county. It was great to see them receive their medals in the Carlow County Council offices in December. That was a great day for them and their families.

When we were not able to go beyond our gardens during the extremes of lockdown, Civil Defence volunteers took people for medical appointments and essential medical treatment and to testing and vaccination centres. One woman rang me to tell me they brought her much-needed food when she and her elderly partner were isolating. Lifelines like this are valuable in rural Ireland. When a home is flooded in rural Carlow due to an extreme weather event or when people are snowed in, the one person on the scene with the help needed is a Civil Defence volunteer. There are so many people I meet regularly who tell me they would be lost without these volunteers. Carlow is one of the 13 Civil Defence rest centres operational for displaced persons. It cares for 62 people.

I welcome this legislation which will rightly promote and support Civil Defence in co-operation with local authorities. It will also provide policy direction for the activities of the Civil Defence, the provision of training and the procurement of goods and equipment for Civil Defence purposes. These are good people volunteering for the good of others and that should always be supported, promoted and provided for. I wish all the Carlow Civil Defence people well. They are doing a great job.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

There will not be much disagreement on this legislation. Many others have detailed, far more eloquently than I will, the necessity of the Civil Defence and the fine work it has done over many years. We need to have a proper legislative framework in place for the Civil Defence and, beyond that, ensure it is fit for purpose into the future. We know the Civil Defence steps into the fray during times of extreme difficulty. We have all heard about the skill sets some of its members have and the equipment, materials and resources it can bring to bear in cases involving missing persons and for regular events that take place constantly in various areas. That could be local runs or St. Patrick's Day parades. Louth Civil Defence operates out of Dundalk. There will be a St. Patrick's Day parade in Dundalk, combined with a family fun day and music before and after, and the Civil Defence will play its part. I thank Louth County Council, Dundalk Credit Union and PayPal in that regard. This work is necessary. I may have gone on a slight tangent there.

We all know about the work the Civil Defence does and that there has been a decline in recruitment. Work needs to be done on that and we need to give the Civil Defence supports. It is a voluntary organisation but it does vital work. We need to tackle recruitment at a local level. We also need a full review of the equipment and resources, facilities and accommodation available to the Civil Defence. That goes without saying. It is about the people first and foremost but then we must make sure the Civil Defence has all it needs, including the right facilities and equipment, and its volunteers can do exactly what they need to do. We also need to make sure proper plans are drawn up at a local authority level.

We need a fit-for-purpose Civil Defence that can do all the work for which we thank it. We could not survive without it. We need to look at what Civil Defence needs locally and then give it all the supports it needs. We all accept that different areas will have different calls.

On the fabulous work the Civil Defence has done, we know the local authorities, the community call and their involvement in it show some of the future trajectory for involving statutory agencies and voluntary organisations. We must put all of those pieces together properly. This Bill is the first step but we have a lot more to do.

Deputy John McGuinness

I welcome the Bill and acknowledge the huge amount of work the Civil Defence undertakes and has undertaken since 1951. It is a significant organisation in those counties that have been fortunate to have volunteers organised through the Civil Defence. I would not miss the opportunity in the debate on this Bill to pay tribute to all of those involved in the Civil Defence in Kilkenny and the work they do. It is an active organisation at county level with 42 active members, a number of whom are young. The interesting thing about the membership is that they tend to get along in the organisation. They complete all their courses and carry all of those certifications on courses with them. Then they get involved in the fire services, for example, and some of them have gone on to be paramedics and so on. Each of these individuals has a strong interest in moving on, not just through the Civil Defence but also by becoming engaged in other organisations.

My local Civil Defence organisation was challenged in 2016 because it lost all of its equipment in a fire. It rented premises and it currently uses two different locations, one to store the equipment and one to train. It recovered from that 2016 tragedy and rebuilt the organisation. Katherine Peacock, who spent four years there, did an excellent job in that. Engagement with the local authority, the Garda and the Defence Forces is key. The volunteers bring great experience to the task in hand. Some 70% of the Civil Defence's funding comes from the Department of Defence and 30% comes from the local authority.

I raise the need for a purpose-built headquarters for the Civil Defence in Kilkenny where it can store all of its equipment and continue to train on-site all the volunteers who wish to become involved.

They now have 15 vehicles, and they have a number of boats that can be used, both on the river and at sea. It is not an easy task when you go to recover a body and you have to be skilled and trained for that. I have seen them at first hand on the River Nore doing a considerable amount of work in this area. Search and rescue is part and parcel of what they do. I am aware that the college for the Department of Defence provides the courses but those who are involved in Kilkenny continue to train on site and to be offered the help and guidance that they need to progress.

The Dormant Account Fund was important for the organisation too - I am aware that Kilkenny got some funding through that fund - and the HSE donates it ambulances. An ambulance can cost up to €50,000 but the HSE donates them to the Civil Defence.

All in all, when one packages it together one has 42 volunteers, who are skilled, who are trained and who are central in communities and who can react to any sort of issue that they are asked to deal with.

During the Covid pandemic, they were particularly helpful. Indeed, as the Ukrainian families arrived, they were to the fore in assisting them to settle into their accommodation and at times to move them from one accommodation to another. They are professional in their approach in relation to all of these actions.

However, like many volunteers, I would say they are exhausted. I spoke today to Ms Michelle Colclough in relation to this. They have given so much of their own time, and on top of that they have families and they have their own jobs etc. to go to. We should recognise that in some way.

I am aware that the organisations, on a social level, tend to give time to having an event whereby they can recognise the work that they did, their achievements etc. but the Government should recognise it by way of providing the upfront funding that is needed to develop the Civil Defence. The way to do that is to look at those who are seeking funding for a headquarters, for further training or for further equipment and to make sure that they get it. It is an investment in a structure and in a response unit, but also in the individuals who are there, particularly young people. It is absolutely essential that we give them the credit that they deserve and that we give them the funding without having them go chase for that funding. That may not be something that can be done easily when the budgets are tight but they should not be forgotten for the work that they do.

I support this Bill. I support the Civil Defence. I ask that, in Kilkenny, they would look at the situation regarding the headquarters and the various equipment that they have.

Deputy Patricia Ryan

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It is important legislation that is being introduced to enhance our readiness in the face of potential disasters and emergencies.

The original legislation dates back to 1951. Modernisation was proposed in the White Paper on Defence in 2015. As with a lot of these reports, they are left on a shelf to gather dust so I am happy to see that this proposal has made the light of day.

The Bill is designed to modernise and streamline the existing Civil Defence framework in Ireland with a focus on promoting co-operation between different agencies and stakeholders to ensure a co-ordinated and effective response to emergencies. It will establish a national Civil Defence agency which will have the responsibility of co-ordinating Civil Defence activities across the country.

I believe we should be going down the same road with the fire service. We should have a national fire service instead of 31 different services. The economies of scale alone in terms of equipment purchase would be beneficial. Also, the uniformity of having everyone receiving the same training on the same equipment and following the same procedures can only serve the public better, not to mention the savings on fire chiefs that could be put back into the front-line services.

Getting back to this Bill, it aims to enhance the role of volunteers in Civil Defence, recognising the valuable contribution they make to our communities. It provides for training and accreditation of volunteers as well as setting out the duties and responsibilities of volunteer organisations.

The past three years have shown us the importance of being prepared for emergencies. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges and hardships and highlighted the need for a co-ordinated and effective response to emergencies of any scale.

My local service in Kildare does great work and I often feel that much of it goes under the radar. It is important to acknowledge the valuable contribution they make. I suppose many people would be aware of them where there is flooding. I am thinking particularly of the Athy area of the Kildare South constituency because they would have an issue around that. It is fantastic to see local people committed to their communities. It is vital that we support them when we face episodes of unpredictable and extreme weather, including in the future due to climate change.

The elephant in the room, unfortunately, is money. The Department of Defence, as others have said, provides 70% of the funding and local authorities have to come up with the other 30%. This presents obvious challenges for them given the meagre funding they receive from central Government. The local authorities must be properly funded to ensure that all services are delivered in an efficient way and to ensure that the public is being served satisfactorily.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor)

Deputy Higgins is sharing time with Deputy Flaherty.

Deputy Emer Higgins

I welcome that we are progressing this Bill in line with the recommendations of the 2015 White Paper on Defence. It will bring legislation from the 1930s and 1940s into the modern practice.

The Civil Defence provides an invaluable service in supporting front-line emergency services and also local communities. I echo the comments made by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, last year when he presented members with medals of recognition for the role they played in Covid-19 and said that Civil Defence volunteers should be hugely proud of the massive contribution they made during the Covid-19 pandemic. I think everyone absolutely agrees with that.

Volunteers in Civil Defence do everything from assisting in responses to emergencies to providing trained people on equipment for search and rescue, supporting in medical response, radiation monitoring service, communications and community assistance.

As a public representative, I know how invaluable their role as volunteers in communities across Ireland is. Over my years of dealing with Civil Defence, my experience has been absolutely positive. A number of years ago, I arranged for my then councillor colleagues on South Dublin County Council to spend a day out with the Civil Defence in its station on Belgard Road. We tried our hand at fire training and we gained so much insight into the skills and the talents that all of these volunteers have and that they utilise when it comes to responding to front-line emergencies.

I was also privileged to give out annual recognition awards for members of the Civil Defence a number of years ago rewarding all of those who give so much of their time to duties. I had a motion down at the South Dublin chamber recognising their contributions to areas such as Lucan, Palmerstown, Clondalkin and the villages of Rathcoole, Newcastle and Brittas. It was great to be able to bring them into the chamber and for them to hear, right across parties, people who so appreciate the work that they do.

Civil Defence supports hundreds of community events throughout the year, both nationwide and also here in Dublin under the fantastic leadership of Mr. James McConnell and his team. These include large events, such as the air show, the tall ships, concerts, festivals and sports events, but they are really invaluable when it comes to those smaller local events. I have first-hand experience of that in terms of the four districts family fun day, which I help run along with Rathcoole Community Council and which they have been such strong supporters of every year.

I have attended their annual service in McKee Barracks. I was really sorry to miss this year's one, which was their first since the Covid pandemic. It is always a special occasion. It marks the enormous contribution of those who give so much of their free time in service to the country. It also, of course, remembers deceased volunteers, such as Commander Joe Fleming, who sadly passed away before his time.

Locally, Civil Defence has helped so many members of my community at their time of need. They were the first people out when we had gorse fires in the forests in Saggart and Rathcoole. They were on the ground when it came to the beast from the east where heavy snowfalls saw people in the more rural parts of my constituency trapped in their homes for weeks on end.

They cleared the roads and delivered people food. They were incredible during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when it came to testing and administering vaccinations. They are and were the epitome of the community sacrifice and community support that brought us through the pandemic. The work they do is absolutely and utterly invaluable. Provisions in the Bill will afford them the opportunity to strengthen what they do, to grow their ranks, to keep providing essential community and emergency responses and, ultimately, to be able to train volunteers to become lifelines for their communities.

Deputy Joe Flaherty

I welcome the Bill, which is long overdue. It underpins an organisation that has been at the heart of community events in Ireland since 1951. We are incredibly proud of the Civil Defence family in County Longford, where Emma Reid is the Civil Defence officer. Throughout the Covid pandemic, we saw the value and dedication of Civil Defence volunteers. We are incredibly lucky to have 25 top-drawer volunteers in Longford. It would be remiss of me if I did not use this occasion to acknowledge the Herculean efforts of Marie Hand, Padraig Croghan, Michael Heaney, Gerry Brady and Theresa McKenna, each of whom has over 20 years' service in the Civil Defence. Another four members have in excess of ten years' service each. We should not let the day pass without remembering those who gave stellar service in the Civil Defence and have, sadly, passed away. I remember in particular Stephen McKenna and John Martin who were giants of the Civil Defence movement in Longford.

No event, be it community, sporting or local authority, takes place in Longford without the involvement of the Civil Defence. Members do their duty with a constant smile and a sense of community that leaves us in no doubt as to the values and qualities that define this great country of ours. We saw the Civil Defence at its best last year, as the war in Ukraine unfolded, when members were to the fore in the humanitarian operation here. They continue to provide ongoing assistance for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, with Longford Civil Defence assisting with 43 specific duties last year, most of which involved the provision and management of a rest centre. Last year, the Longford team was on call for almost 100 duties, including sports fixtures, the Longford show, the Royal Canal run, the Longford marathon, the Halloween Dead of Night Festival as well as multiple festivals up and down the length and breadth of County Longford. These people embody the very best of what this country is about. It rightly behoves me to say the people in Longford are not only very proud of this organisation but are incredibly protective of it. I pay tribute in particular to Emma Reid, our Civil Defence officer. The tradition of the Civil Defence runs deep in her family. I see first-hand her dedication and I know this, in turn, is reflected in the commitment of her team, who not only admire and look up to her but respond greatly to her leadership.

It would be remiss of me if I did not remind the Minister of the need for a dedicated home for Longford Civil Defence. It recently took possession of a new comms vehicle, which will greatly assist in health and safety operations as well as search and recovery operations. All too often, the Civil Defence has to step forward and be there for families in the worst of times. Again, we see the very best of people in these situations. Longford is rightly proud of our Civil Defence.

The point for the Minister to take away from today's debate is that Longford Civil Defence deserves a headquarters that befits its stellar efforts. I am confident that positive moves in this regard are under way. I would like to see the goal of a new Civil Defence headquarters for Longford achieved during the lifetime of this Government.

Deputy Martin Browne

I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to this Bill. Our Civil Defence is highly regarded in every community. They are our neighbours and our family members. The amount of work they put into the Civil Defence is unimaginable and often overlooked. Tipperary Civil Defence, covering north and south Tipperary, has carried out amazing work all over the county, especially during the pandemic and when Ukrainian refugees arrived. Volunteers are out in all kinds of weather, be it good or bad, and go up mountains and into forests day and night. Let us be honest, in many situations, they are the first port of call when something goes wrong. For that alone, and for what they actually do, they are invaluable. The Civil Defence volunteers' ethos represents their community spirit and dedication. The amount of assistance every one of the individuals involved gives when people are in trouble cannot be underestimated, nor can their contribution to the holding of events. We can all name off events in our local areas. Volunteers really show their contribution during St. Patrick's weekend, which is in a few weeks' time. When we are out celebrating St. Patrick, Civil Defence members are there from early morning until the crowds disappear. That is when their real value is shown.

With that in mind, it is only right we discuss a Bill that seeks to update legislation. It is crazy to think some of the legislation has been there since the 1930s. For an organisation that contributes so much to our local communities and across the country, it is a pity that the legislation has been there for that long and has not been changed. We must back the need for the implementation of statutory changes that would reform the current legislation pertaining to Civil Defence organisations. This is especially important given the 2015 White Paper on Defence stated that the future of Civil Defence will continue to be developed around its central strategic objective of supporting the principal response agencies in the range of call-outs to which they attend. While we are updating this legislation on Civil Defence - make no mistake; this is highly positive - I hope we appreciate that for it to be truly effective, it must be accompanied by proper engagement with the members operating on the ground. They will give the Government and Opposition parties a real insight into the work they undertake on a daily basis and how it can be best carried out. Therefore, this is really important. It is especially important in the context of section 2(2)(e), which refers to the role of the Minister in procuring goods and equipment he or she considers necessary. Such engagement must be undertaken with the local authorities and the volunteers on the ground. I am thankful the Bill has been brought before the Oireachtas and Sinn Féin looks forward to it progressing through Committee Stage.

Deputy Cathal Berry

I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which aims to modernise legislation that dates to the Second World War. That is probably a good litmus test for the need to modernise legislation.

From the outset, I compliment the Civil Defence, both the organisation and the 2,700 volunteers. They do fantastic work. As other colleagues have said, they are an integral part of the fabric of Irish society. They provide huge support for the three principal response agencies - the Garda, the HSE and local authorities - and for charitable and community organisations.

This may be controversial, but perhaps the Civil Defence is modern and effective in what it does because it is not a centralised organisation. There is a huge amount of autonomy given to the 28 Civil Defence teams around the country. They are not overly bureaucratic or overly controlled. They are probably successful not in spite of not being under centralised control but because they are not under centralised control. They have a huge amount of flexibility and latitude at local level. They are completely plugged in to the local, regional and community setup. They have probably rewritten the rule book on professionalism. We generally regard professionals as people who are paid full time. The Civil Defence has proven that one can be professional without being paid full time as a volunteer. Volunteers' professionalism relates to the standards they bring to the table rather than whether they are paid full time.

The thing about Civil Defence is that it always turns up. I have never heard a derogatory comment about the Civil Defence. During a search for a missing person, an incident requiring medical support or a response to a severe weather event, they are always there. The Minister mentioned the responses to Covid-19 and the displacement of Ukrainians, which were commendable responses. I acknowledge that the Civil Defence teams are modernising their operations. Their capabilities are very effective from the point of view of drone technology. They are also very effective from a four-wheel drive point of view - they have their own tracked vehicles - and from a medical perspective. I have been to Ratra House and the college in Roscrea several times. From a medical point of view, they are very impressive in regard to paramedic and pre-hospital training.

Many of the HSE paramedics and advanced paramedics are also double-hatted as Civil Defence members. I do not think many people recognise that. On the Covid-19 response, I want again to double on the fact that they got a medal awarded to them in Croke Park last year. That is an excellent thing to give some recognition for the excellent service they are providing. There is one organisation which I do not think has got the same level of recognition and that is the Garda Reserve. It has been around for approximately 20 years and its personnel have never received any kind of official medal or recognition for the great work they do. Perhaps the Tánaiste could speak to his Cabinet colleague, the Minister, Deputy Harris, in relation to that.

I have one concern from an operational perspective that I want to highlight. We know what the situation in Ukraine is like at the moment. We know there are concerns over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and that Civil Defence has a significant role in radiation monitoring in this country. I suspect it has not really been updated since the 1980s and Chernobyl, or perhaps Sellafield. We could probably do with dusting off some of those plans, doing an audit of the equipment and making sure people are properly training so that they can carry out air, soil and water sampling. This is not to scare anybody. The fact that they would be carrying out their training would allay a lot of people's fears about having a system in place. The last thing we want to do is be caught in a situation for which we are not prepared. It is a low probability event but one with maximum, indeed catastrophic, impact if something like that happens. The Civil Defence probably needs to make sure it is totally on the ball from a radiation monitoring point of view.

Turning to the Bill itself, in general it is a good Bill. I welcome the fact that a register is going to be established. I caution against making the Civil Defence organisation overly bureaucratic. One of the reasons why it is successful is that it is not bureaucratic. The code of practice is important and the 70:30 funding model is good as well. I throw out two ideas as I wonder about the departmental structure of involving two Departments controlling one agency. As a general rule, that is probably not a good idea. As a general rule, it could be argued that if two people or two organisations are in charge, nobody or no one is really in charge. We might want to consider whether we should put one Department in charge exclusively, that is either the Department of Defence or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That is just a consideration.

Second, across the European Union, the phrase "civil protection" is used rather than "civil defence", so if we were looking to align our Civil Defence organisation with its European peers and counterparts, perhaps a renaming or rebranding should be considered. Again, I am not sure what the Civil Defence volunteers' view on that would be but if we are looking at deploying teams overseas from an earthquake point of view, or from a forest fire or disaster relief point of view, perhaps aligning ourselves with our European colleagues might be a good way to go.

In summary, I welcome the Bill. I am a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence so I look forward to further scrutiny on 28 March when the Bill comes before the committee. I make one suggestion that if it is going to be discussed at committee, we might get a Civil Defence officer and a Civil Defence volunteer to turn up as well so we can ask pertinent questions from an operational point of view in order to get the best information possible when it comes to making legislation.

Deputy Cathal Crowe

I wish I had Deputy Berry's military training. I am after running a few laps of the building.

I join others in welcoming this legislation. It is very positive. It is very interesting historically that this combines the old Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 to 1946. That was very old legislation when we were in a very different historic period. I had a grand-uncle who served in the Local Defence Force, LDF, at the time. A point of interest is that one of the last surviving air-raid sirens in the country still operates and is tested once a year at Ardnacrusha power station. It was very interesting when we were teaching classes in Parteen National School that once a year this booming air-raid siren would be heard at the power station. It was a real throwback to yesteryear. The children in our local school did not always need to watch YouTube clips to figure out what this sound was like; they were able to experience it in real time.

I acknowledge, as others have, the immense role of the Civil Defence. Certainly, in County Clare, we are very familiar with its work. The Minister has been in Clonlara, County Clare, himself, and to Springfield which is an area very prone to flooding. Thankfully in the lifetime of this Government it has been dealt with by really robust flood defences. What we saw there time and again in 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2019, was the members of the Civil Defence going down in dinghies, waders, large vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles and bringing people out of their houses to bring them to safety. They were absolutely outstanding front-line emergency personnel and we are hugely grateful. We saw yet again last March when we had a massive influx of Ukrainian refugees to our county that it was again the Civil Defence in Clare and the mid-west that stepped up to the mark. I note that 18 families were helped directly to find accommodation in that same period. The efforts of the Civil Defence in that regard have been absolutely immense.

I will speak on the matter of Defence Force accommodation for families. I am from the southern area of County Clare. Our local army barracks is Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick city. Indeed, Meelick, from where I hail, has a housing estate called Elton Court. This housing estate was built in the 1980s in partnership with Father Harry Bohan. It was an affordable housing scheme and it was really targeted to entice military and Defence Force families from the city of Limerick out to County Clare where they could rear their families. It was such a successful scheme. Beyond County Kildare and the Curragh area, this is the largest housing scheme, if you like, of Defence Forces personnel, be they current or former. That model of affordable housing is something I would like to see replicated again. If the Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, is in County Clare sometime, I can show him first-hand this scheme from the 1980s. It is an estate of high-quality affordable housing, which was really earmarked for those in the Defence Forces, and it still operates really successfully. I know there is a whole review under way and terms and conditions of pay for the Defence Force personnel will rightly improve but we also need to look at those other metrics of providing for them, including accommodation. The solution I have suggested is one that needs to be looked at a bit further.

We had a discussion here on all things defence related again about a week ago and the clock was ticking. I have a little bit more time today so I will elaborate on an issue I dealt with and tried to represent that day. I refer to the whole decade of centenaries and the period of commemoration we now find ourselves in. Every single weekend there are commemorations happening the length and breadth of the country. The best of those commemorations are probably not the State-led ones; they are probably the community-led ones where politics is left in the wings and a community historically leads out their own local event remembering their own local people who fought and many of whom died seeking Irish independence and during the tragic years of the Civil War.

I think it is unforgivable to see members of the Opposition, in particular Sinn Féin, at weekends marching alongside individuals with black berets and paramilitary uniforms. It is absolutely incongruent to have a spokesperson on defence coming in here to speak for the men and women of the Permanent Defence Force, being their voice, and then at the weekends walking the streets with people who wear paramilitary uniforms. There is only one Óglaigh na hÉireann. There is only one Irish Army and this absolutely does not fit and is an insult to those who don the uniform and the harp brass buttons on their tunics, who represent Ireland overseas, who defended Ireland, who go on many peacekeeping missions overseas, and who have a very proud record. Some of them have paid the ultimate price of their lives. It is an insult to them to see some Deputies in this House, particularly those in Sinn Féin, marching with one army at the weekend and speaking for a different army when they come in to this House. I really think it is time we look at some form of legislation that prohibits the wearing of parliamentary uniforms. We can of course have a carve out in terms of historical re-enactment. That is something we should embrace. It is nice to see members of communities, including my own in County Clare, don old, historic Irish Volunteers and Cumann na mBan uniforms, non-politically - without any connotations to modern day politics - and wear those uniforms with pride to re-enact historically and represent events of yesteryear. It is wrong to don the black beret and a uniform that has no semblance, no reason and no logic whatsoever in the context of current Irish statehood.

That needs to be taken out of Irish politics, and it certainly should not be walking in step with any debate we have in these Houses on the Defence Forces.

If we want to hear logical and sound debate on the Defence Forces from the other side of the floor, I will turn to the likes of Deputy Berry who has lived this life and is an encyclopaedia on all things related to the Defence Forces. If I want to hear a logical voice on this subject, I will turn to him rather than to somebody who walks at the weekend with people in paramilitary uniforms and at other times of the year speaks for the Permanent Defence Force. It just does not wash.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

The organisation of the Civil Defence falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defence. It is managed by 35 local authority Civil Defence officers and has approximately 3,500 volunteers. From the bottom of my heart, I want to salute the work they have done over the decades.

Eddie Cooney, who is not well at the moment, was the officer in charge in south Tipperary for decades. He has now retired and is laid low. I wish him well. Dolores Fahey is now in that office. I was going to bring something on the subject of volunteers to the attention of Deputy Cathal Crowe, but he has left the Chamber. I remember attending a summer camp in Lahinch when I was chair of the council. I was looked after by the late Fine Gael councillor, Jimmy Hogan, and his late wife, who were both wonderful officers. They looked after me and my three children at the Munster final in Limerick on the way. It was a joyous occasion.

The Civil Defence does great work. Over the decades, it dealt with floods in Clonmel. Thanks to the former Minister of State, Martin Mansergh, and others who helped to provide funding, we now have a scheme that is 95% successful at keeping out water. The Civil Defence is still on hand to help out when there are floods, someone is missing or there is a water outage. I think the Civil Defence is abused by local authorities and Uisce Éireann in terms of delivering boil water notices or whatever. We need to respect it and not use it for such purposes.

There have been a lot of cutbacks in recent years and the Civil Defence is limited in what it can do. It used to provide great assistance, such as traffic management at funerals and so on. A lot of those things have been pulled back from it because of insurance and everything else. Volunteers loved doing such events, but the rules and regulations have denied them the ability to do so.

The Bill proposes to consolidate a number of Acts. I hope it does. Legislation can often have unintended consequences.

It is now very difficult to get volunteers, as the Minister knows. The voluntary fire service has tremendous people who were pushed aside and have been told their tenders are not up to standard, but such services were local to the people, were the first to arrive at a scene and dealt with many difficult cases.

In the case of the Civil Defence, they have pride in their vehicles, uniform and colleagues. They assist at many festivals and community events which others do not attend. As gardaí are thin on the ground, community events and field days are attended by the Civil Defence. To be fair, the Order of Malta and the Red Cross have done tremendous work over the decades. We must strengthen the Civil Defence. We must have the motto of ní neart go cur le chéile and the idea of the meitheal. That is how the Civil Defence works. Uisce Éireann and others cannot use it for other purposes.

The previous speaker mentioned monuments and parades at weekends. I agree with every word he said. People are hijacking the Tricolour and many events. Political parties, some of whom are in this House, have hijacked the Liam Lynch memorial monument. My dad was proud to be the clerk of works when it was constructed. There were 12 members of the committee and my dad was joint treasurer. Most of the men had served in prison, the War of Independence and the Civil War. It is a national commemoration, but some people want to claim ownership of the monument which was built by the sweat and blood of people who handed stone from hand to hand. Some arrive as new kids on the block and think they own the monument. Nobody owns the Tricolour, but the Army is proud to represent it. Nobody owns the reilig of Liam Ó Loingsigh. Many members of his family are coming to commemorate him. There is another event in Fermoy on 11 April. We look forward to a proper weekend of commemoration. The Tánaiste attended the ceremony in the past. We will not allow it to be hijacked by anyone. The monument was built by the people of Newcastle, Ballybacon, Ardfinnan and Grange. The money came from America. I saw the letters my father received when he was treasurer containing a shilling, a half crown or whatever. It was built with sweat, blood, tears and pride, and it will stay that way and remain in the ownership of the committee.

Deputy Michael Collins

We in the Rural Independent Group would like to use this opportunity to commend the Civil Defence volunteers on their selflessness and dedication during the pandemic and other challenging times or emergency situations. The former Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney, correctly recognised the immense and enormous role played by these volunteers in Ireland's response to the spread of Covid-19 at an event honouring their work in Dublin's Croke Park last November. We understand that over 300 volunteers received a specially designed medal for their efforts in 2020 and 2021, and a total of 1,100 medals were to be distributed following the event. It is to be hoped these medals have been delivered to each of the volunteers since then. The country owes each and every volunteer our heartfelt appreciation for stepping up during many challenging times. These volunteers reached out during the pandemic to the most vulnerable members of society and provided much-needed comfort. In doing so, they helped to reduce feelings of isolation. For those efforts, the Civil Defence's contribution will always be remembered and their efforts will always be appreciated.

There are over 3,500 volunteers in the Civil Defence. As Deputy McGrath has said, we cannot forget the Order of Malta, the Red Cross, cliff and rescue groups and all of the other volunteers who put their lives at risk at times to help other people, whether that involves searching for people and doing whatever else needs to be done. The Civil Defence and others have always been there for the people. Its volunteers undertook 9,500 tasks during the pandemic, including medical appointments, testing, delivering food and medication and assisting in the HSE vaccination centres. I would like to pay a personal tribute to each and every volunteer. As I said to Red Cross members, many people do a lot of dedicated work without any proper recognition. I will mention as an example Dr. Jason van der Velde, who runs the Jeep for Jason service in west Cork. Every evening, he turns on his monitor and phone and takes calls on a voluntary basis. The local community in Ballinascarthy has raised funds for him and purchased a jeep so he can carry out this work. He has saved many lives on the roadside when other emergency services may not have been able to attend as quickly as he can.

The national fire service needs to be commended. It does a lot of tough and hard work on the roadsides. Work on the Clonakilty fire station has not yet started. Staff there have asked me to keep going with the fight to make sure that happens. Such people need to be commended. Any Bill that will help the Civil Defence and others is something I will support. I would also like to remember the air ambulance service, an organisation which is in existence thanks to people fundraising on a daily basis and its volunteers. I commend those working in Cancer Connect in my constituency, Cork South-West. It looks after people from Castletownbere, the Mizen Peninsula, the Sheep's Head Peninsula and throughout west Cork. It takes people to and from Cork on a daily basis. Funding was promised for the service from the Government, which unfortunately did not come. We have to continue to carry out voluntary work and do more fundraising for the service. Cancer Connect comprises 100% volunteers. Nobody is making any profit out of it. It is an area that needs to be looked at. Today is about the Civil Defence. I will certainly support the Bill.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

It is important to discuss and debate this Bill and to use this opportunity to acknowledge the great work done by the Civil Defence over the years. Of course I want to recognise the work done by our local authority, Kerry County Council, and, under its jurisdiction, the local authority, the Civil Defence officers and all the volunteers in County Kerry and throughout the rest of the country. There are 3,500 volunteers throughout the country. These people have done Trojan work at ordinary and extraordinary events. An example of an ordinary event is a very happy affair such as Puck Fair, the Rose of Tralee festival or the 15 August fair in Kenmare. We have many other great events in our county. We can rely on the Civil Defence being there, as well as the Order of Malta, the Red Cross and all of the others. When there are emergencies or additional help is needed, these people are brought in. They help at the great Kilgarvan weekend event we have every year where Helen O'Sullivan and her hard-working committee hold an event in the village.

Those people provide support when they are needed with crowds, which is very important. What also needs to be recognised here today, and I want to do this on behalf of the county I represent, are the inshore rescue people in Caherdaniel, Waterville and along the rest of the coast because given its coastline, County Kerry experiences tragedies and people who get into trouble in the water. We also need our mountain rescue. These are the great people from Coolmagort, Beaufort who go up our mountain ranges when people get into trouble there. They are ably assisted by Civil Defence on the ground if it is needed. I want to recognise the likes of those people.

We are talking about the value of emergency services such as Civil Defence but I also want to recognise Donie Lucey from the Irish Community Air Ambulance for the excellent work it has done. The forthcoming Castleisland Forestry Rally was launched. Castleisland is a place the Minister will know well. A rally will take place there with the funds to go to the air ambulance in County Kerry and the Cork region. We are so fortunate because of our rough terrain. Regarding driving from Valentia Island to Tarbert, you could drive from Kilgarvan to Dublin quicker so is it any wonder we need an air ambulance and people to rescue people from the mountains? We have a big open area where we need help. We should give every acknowledgement to Civil Defence. I also thank the former Minister, Deputy Coveney, for acknowledging its work, particularly during the pandemic. The statistics are frightening. There were 9,500 call-outs and operations in which it was involved taking care of people and dealing with the emergency at that time. I know the Minister when in the important position of Taoiseach acknowledged its work and I appreciate that. It is very important that the Government recognises and thanks these people, who are volunteers, giving of their time freely. We appreciate that very much.

Deputy Richard O'Donoghue

The Minister for Defence is responsible for Civil Defence policy with up to 70% of the cost of funding Civil Defence. The Department provides training for volunteers instructors and supplies equipment, vehicles, uniforms and PPE for Civil Defence volunteers. Civil Defence volunteers undertook 9,500 tasks during the pandemic, including transporting people to medical appointments, testing and vaccination centres and delivering food and medication. Civil Defence was extraordinary during Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma and later during the Covid pandemic.

Civil Defence provides five core services, including emergency response, search and rescue, medical response, community assistance and a radiation monitoring service. It was established in 1951 and is a volunteer organisation that supports emergency services in local communities. It has 3,500 members trained to provide a range of services. Civil Defence volunteers around the country do incredible work. I am delighted that the Minister for Defence is funding it and providing equipment for it but we must acknowledge the volunteers who do the work and go out in all kinds of conditions to help people. It includes the air ambulance service and the Blood Bikes that travel around the country. Civil Defence covers everything in our areas. It goes across the water and carries out peacekeeping missions as well. A lot of work is done by Civil Defence for which we are eternally grateful.

I come back to the fact that they are volunteers. Ireland is known for its volunteers. No matter what happens, people such as those in Civil Defence come out and put their shoulder to the wheel and make sure that no matter what event takes place, be it for the wrong or right reasons, it is there to help. Civil Defence is broad-based with a central command. I commend anything that will help our Civil Defence. I commend any recommendations to help and fund Civil Defence and help and reward our volunteers for their excellent work.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak about Civil Defence. I thank the Minister for bringing forward this legislation at this time. The memorandum circulated to Members states that the purpose of the Bill is to modernise the existing legislation relating to civil defence matters contained within the Air-Raid Precautions Acts, 1939 and 1946, and the Civil Defence Act 2012. Civil Defence provides five core services, including emergency response, search and rescue, medical response, community assistance and a radiation monitoring service. It is very important that at this time, its role is updated and it is properly recognised. The purpose of the Bill is to consolidate existing disparate legislation in place in this area.

Each one of us, particularly elected Members, knows how vital Civil Defence is. There are times when Civil Defence is very visible such as during normal big events with crowds of people such as the day of the Munster final in Killarney when we have a go at Cork, treat it very well and hope it does not win. Civil Defence is very visible on days like that. Its members are at major events like the Rose of Tralee and the horse racing in Killarney but it is equally visible on desperate days when someone is missing and a family is trouble. Civil Defence plays a vital role. Civil Defence members are volunteers but they are trained. I set out the various roles they can play. When somebody has a cardiac arrest, they are probably the nearest at times to help when help is needed. Civil Defence plays a vital role with the diminishing presence of An Garda Síochána or when its members are away on different operations. They provide as good a service as those who are paid to provide them and they must be recognised and properly treated and have the proper equipment. I appeal to the Minister to ensure the Civil Defence has that.

I also thank all the other volunteer services in Kerry such as the Order of Malta, the Red Cross and the air ambulance, which is vital. We know the vital role it has played in saving so many people by taking them directly to the larger hospitals where they get treatment. We know how great that service is. It goes into areas that are so slow to get in and out of and does miraculous work and we really appreciate it.

We previously raised in the House the issue regarding the air ambulance service and I am proud to be a member of the Rural Independent Group, which did so. Those people need proper financial assistance to keep that service going. Without that, rural places including in County Kerry, such as Glencar, Scartaglin and Brosna, will be impacted. Kerry is a massive county and that has to be recognised. Perhaps in Dublin, the services are more visible and readily available, but people living in rural Ireland and rural Kerry need the same services as the people everywhere else and in the urban areas. I appreciate the Tánaiste's efforts in this regard and will thank him if he takes stock of what we are asking for such that these people will be properly funded.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Kathleen Funchion)

Before I call the Tánaiste to reply, I point out the debate will have to conclude in two minutes, so I will have to interrupt him.

Minister for Defence (Deputy Micheál Martin)

That is fine. I thank all the Deputies who contributed. We have had a good manifestation, from across the House, of the esteem in which the Civil Defence is held by communities, as the Deputies articulated. I thank them for their fulsome tributes to the Civil Defence and look forward to teasing out on Committee Stage the issues they raised, such as funding issues, investment in infrastructure in terms of various headquarters or accommodation issues and the ongoing recognition of the volunteering dimension of the Civil Defence. The various counties were well represented by the Deputies who came forward. The consideration of this legislation now and on Committee Stage is an opportunity to work on some of the issues they raised, not least in regard to the funding, status and resourcing of the Civil Defence. Above all, this is about a legislative template for the future. I look forward to dealing with Deputies in committee and thank them again.

Question put and agreed to.