Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
9. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Civil Defence personnel by county; the shortfall in numbers in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12260/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of active Civil Defence volunteers in each county at the end of 2017 is as follows:
CARLOW 63
CAVAN 225
CLARE 179
CORK CITY 95
CORK NORTH 76
CORK SOUTH 44
CORK WEST 86
DONEGAL 129
DUBLIN 434
GALWAY 311
KERRY 131
KILDARE 62
KILKENNY 23
LAOIS 89
LEITRIM 36
LIMERICK 157
LONGFORD 52
LOUTH 38
MAYO 78
MEATH 221
MONAGHAN 64
OFFALY 49
ROSCOMMON 87
SLIGO 107
TIPPERARY 182
WATERFORD 153
WESTMEATH 100
WEXFORD 121
WICKLOW 77
TOTAL 3469
The Department of Defence is charged with the management and development of Civil Defence at national level. The Department provides policy direction, centralised training through the Civil Defence College, administrative support and guidance and centralised procurement of major items of uniform and equipment in support of local authority Civil Defence efforts.
Civil Defence services are delivered through the Civil Defence Officer (CDO) of the relevant Local Authority for that area. The CDO is a full time employee of the local authority and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Civil Defence matters under the overall direction of the relevant Chief Executive.
Civil Defence volunteers are recruited, trained and managed locally. It is for each Civil Defence Unit to determine the appropriate number of volunteers required in the Unit. The Unit size varies between counties due to factors such as the population and geographic size of the county. The presence or absence of other voluntary emergency service groups (such as the Order of Malta, St Johns Ambulance and the Red Cross) in a county has an impact on the size of the Civil Defence Unit. Civil Defence training has become increasingly professionalised in recent years and many Units have tended to favour having smaller numbers of more highly trained volunteers.
