Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee and I thank the staff and volunteers of Civil Defence for the work they do. It is very challenging work in many ways. There is a real commitment to people's communities and the public because it is challenging work in difficult weather and it is exhausting work at times. As a voluntary organisation, it makes a big difference in times of need that is very cost-effective. Many voluntary organisations are experiencing a challenging time with the changing nature of people's lives and work. I want to get a sense of the strength of Civil Defence. Am I correct that there are approximately 2,000 members at present? With regard to the trajectory, I have figures going back to 2016 or 2017 when it was a good bit higher. That is seven or eight years ago at this stage. Over the past year or two, has it been on the way up, has it been about even or has it been on the way down? What is the trajectory of the numbers?