Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
136. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Defence if he has satisfied himself with the level of support available to the Civil Defence to deal with severe weather emergencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12879/14]
View answerCivil Defence has 4,500 active volunteers who are based across all local authority areas in the country. Civil Defence has a wide range of equipment available to the organisation to assist in responding to the effects of flooding and other forms of severe weather. This includes 88 Boats; 47 Fire Tenders; 9 Floating Pontoon Units; 130 Four Wheel Drive vehicles; 2 Tracked All-Terrain vehicles and specialist equipment such as portable pumps. At local level, under the Framework for Major Emergency Management, Civil Defence is very much integrated into the emergency response arrangements of local authorities, who have primary responsibility for severe weather response. In addition Civil Defence also provides supports to the Gardaí and HSE in their efforts to combat the effects of severe weather on communities.
At national level Civil Defence, along with the Defence Forces, is part of my Department’s representation on the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning.
Civil Defence training programmes, which include courses such as Water and Flood Awareness and Flood First Responder training, are intended to support the organisation’s ongoing involvement in severe weather response.
In that regard I want to compliment the over 500 Civil Defence volunteers who assisted the frontline emergency services in dealing with severe weather in many parts of the country in recent months. Civil Defence volunteers were engaged in a wide range of activities including evacuating people from flooded homes, water pumping, sandbagging, erecting flood barriers, monitoring water levels and transporting patients.
Since 2011, in spite of the overall budgetary situation, I have been successful in maintaining the allocation available for Civil Defence at more or less the same level. I have allocated €4.240 million for Civil Defence programmes in 2014. I will continue to ensure that an adequate level of funding is made available through the Civil Defence Branch of my Department to support Civil Defence efforts across the country.
