Civil Defence

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Questions (589)

John Brady

Question:

589. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide a breakdown the number of active members of the Civil Defence in each of the 28 Civil Defence units across the State in each of the years 2013 to 2022 and as of March 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12639/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence

The number of active volunteers in each Civil Defence Unit on those dates is as follows.

Civil Defence Unit	February 2013	March 2014	January 2015	February 2016	January 2017
CARLOW	68	69	60	55	59
CAVAN	279	270	261	268	212
CLARE	205	155	211	213	199
CORK CITY	105	101	76	81	93
CORK NORTH & EAST	143	143	112	113	117
CORK WEST	93	106	108	85	81
DONEGAL	119	113	116	112	113
DUBLIN	495	636	583	523	398
GALWAY	393	442	483	276	306
KERRY	224	123	97	100	116
KILDARE	82	63	53	52	50
KILKENNY	39	50	41	41	50
LAOIS	84	95	84	76	78
LEITRIM	37	39	41	33	33
LIMERICK	261	203	201	179	199
LONGFORD	75	86	74	65	51
LOUTH	106	117	74	47	51
MAYO	94	115	128	63	73
MEATH	202	199	201	200	199
MONAGHAN	150	125	88	71	69
OFFALY	55	57	51	48	36
ROSCOMMON	108	115	126	139	135
SLIGO	208	129	119	108	113
TIPPERARY	300	289	249	238	206
WATERFORD	205	182	196	178	149
WESTMEATH	107	106	120	95	80
WEXFORD	189	174	158	127	137
WICKLOW	170	86	85	68	83
TOTAL	4,596	4,388	4,196	3,654	3,486

Civil Defence Unit	January 2018	January 2019	February 2020	February 2021	February 2022	March 2023
CARLOW	62	68	68	71	70	105
CAVAN	227	245	208	207	171	70
CLARE	190	195	202	155	99	92
CORK CITY	93	119	127	115	104	82
CORK NORTH & EAST	118	123	113	78	82	80
CORK WEST	84	93	94	50	63	59
DONEGAL	129	134	99	104	88	47
DUBLIN	457	461	327	302	324	330
GALWAY	308	315	261	248	230	217
KERRY	130	132	183	136	140	87
KILDARE	61	71	44	45	59	60
KILKENNY	22	26	31	36	43	43
LAOIS	88	97	93	37	40	44
LEITRIM	35	38	41	33	19	20
LIMERICK	157	175	162	156	136	121
LONGFORD	52	27	25	21	26	57
LOUTH	36	40	39	39	52	26
MAYO	77	88	85	57	60	43
MEATH	195	191	203	179	194	181
MONAGHAN	60	58	53	56	59	55
OFFALY	46	40	37	35	32	37
ROSCOMMON	87	89	86	63	61	55
SLIGO	105	95	112	113	128	128
TIPPERARY	181	198	152	117	117	107
WATERFORD	151	163	156	152	110	87
WESTMEATH	99	95	59	49	43	47
WEXFORD	122	141	146	150	120	122
WICKLOW	77	79	58	45	44	47
TOTAL	3,449	3,596	3,264	2,849	2,714	2,449

Civil Defence volunteers are recruited, trained and managed by the local Civil Defence Officer who is a full-time employee of the local authority. It is for each Unit to determine how many volunteers are required to deliver an effective Civil Defence service in their County. In 2020 as part of the 3 year planning cycle in Civil Defence each local authority confirmed the volunteer numbers required to deliver core services. The total figure was 2,857. Local authorities are currently submitting their Civil Defence plans for the period 2023 to 2025 and again they have been asked to identify the number of volunteers required in their Civil Defence Unit.

It should be noted that Covid-19 significantly restricted the ability of local authorities to recruit volunteers in the period 2020 to 2022. I am advised that a number of Units are now actively recruiting new volunteers.