asked the Minister for Defence the total State expenditure and total local authority expenditure on civil defence to date since its inception.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Defence Expenditure.
93.
Expenditure charged to the civil defence subhead of the Vote for Defence since the inception of civil defence in 1951 amounts to £1,410,000. This figure does not include certain items of expenditure charged to other subheads of the Vote for Defence or to the Votes for other Departments or Offices, mainly in respect of staff employed on civil defence and work carried out by the Army in connection with civil defence. These items are not separately recorded and it would take an inordinate amount of time and labour to abstract the information from the records. It is estimated, however, that this expenditure was of the order of £1,035,000. Expenditure by local authorities on civil defence during the same period was £365,000 approximately.
May I put it to the Minister, having listened to his answer, that approximately £1½ million has been spent in this country on civil defence? Is that not the aggregate figure since its inception?
Yes.
In view of the fact that it is now established that we have spent £1½ million on civil defence, is the Minister satisfied that this money has been effectively spent, and that the projected expenditure will be effectively spent? Is he satisfied that it is time to review this expenditure bearing in mind that it is based on the possibility of atomic warfare and bearing in mind that a very large number of local authority personnel spend their time on this work? This money could be more effectively spent for other purposes.
The Deputy is making a statement.
Hundreds and hundreds of houses could be built for this money. We could all finish up in ashes as a result of atomic war.
I am disappointed to hear the Deputy making such criticism as this of civil defence.
I am not making a criticism. I am suggesting that the Minister review the position.