Mr. Fergal Conroy:

We cannot give any breakdowns on the actual outcomes but I know in some cases we have been very lucky. For instance, in County Clare, there were three searches within a week of one another and two out of the three were positive outcomes. That is just one example I remember hearing about. In general it all depends on the timeframe, how long before the other services look for us, and how long before the person is actually reported missing. Time is of the essence in that regard.

Like that situation in County Clare, the result was very positive in those cases. Technology has changed. It used to be a map and a compass for searching; it is now based on iPads and all modern technology. We have a mapyx system. If we get a contact number from say the local person or garda involved in the search, we can clone the phone or try to get a message to that phone to see if we can get a response from it. We may also be able to pinpoint an area of search operation. In both counties, or even within a region, we have a command and control vehicle where we can use drone technology. We can download information from the drone camera to the communications unit which in turn can map the area out into different zones, colours and shades, and then the people are deployed on the ground.

Our communication systems have been upgraded in recent years. We now have the TETRA system through which we can talk to any Civil Defence unit across the country. Last week, for example, the incident in County Wexford started out as Wexford-specific, became a regional incident and then became a national incident whereby a number of counties outside of Wexford responded to the call for help.

I joined the organisation in 1985 as a volunteer. Over a number of years, I went through the volunteer process, moved up the ranks through all of the different levels and eventually became a commander in County Laois. In 2019, I applied for a job because the Civil Defence was my only hobby - I wonder why - and my hobby became my full-time job in Roscommon from 2019 to 2022. I am now back in County Offaly. That is my level but it is really down to the person. It is about local people in local areas giving something back to their communities in both good times and bad. The good times include the fleadhs, open days, commemorations and so on and the bad times include incidents like the one in 2017, when there was an horrific outcome to a flash flooding event in Mountmellick. The Civil Defence and the Defence Forces worked overnight and into the following day to keep people safe, moving people and furniture out of houses and moving people to alternative accommodation. That was a perfect example of local people being involved in their local communities through organisations like the Civil Defence. There is no organisation that comes close to the Civil Defence and what it does across the country.