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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 12 Mar 1986

Vol. 364 No. 8

Written Answers. - Civil Defence Force.

39.

asked the Minister for Defence the number of members by rank in the civil defence force for each of the past five years; and the total Exchequer cost for each year.

The membership of the Civil Defence Volunteer Organisation for the years 1980 to 1984 was as follows:

Service

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

Wardens-SIO service

7,532

7,646

7,829

7,683

7,571

Rescue Service

5,065

5,154

5,367

5,600

5,886

Welfare Service

4,608

4,377

4,502

4,500

4,444

Casualty Service

17,458

18,155

19,172

20,021

20,449

Auxiliary Fire Service

2,537

2,656

2,761

2,861

2,963

Total Strength

37,200

37,988

39,631

40,665

41,313

These figures have been compiled from strength returns made to the Department of Defence by the local authorities. All the necessary returns in respect of the year ended 31 December 1985 have not yet come to hand so that the figures for 1985 are not yet available.

The organisation of the volunteers is a matter for the local authorities themselves, and there are variations in the rank structures from one authority to another. As a consequence, it is not possible readily to furnish numbers by rank. A study with the objective of producing a uniform rank structure throughout the State is at present being undertaken. The cost to the Exchequer is met from subhead G of the Defence Vote. The expenditure under this subhead for the years in question was 1981, £968,000; 1982, £1,448,000; 1983, £1,365,000; 1984, £1,500,000; 1985, £2,463,000 (Provisional).

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