Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

It is an office in the Department of Defence. I am not an expert on this but I have been at briefings of it and it is the case that some of our best and brightest in the military are involved in it. Much of that work involves planning, international planning and so on. Obviously, our military people are keeping abreast of what is happening internationally where there are now significant budgets involved. We all hope none of these incidents happen, many of which we would never have thought of previously, including biological and biochemical attacks. It is not just a question of natural disasters. It is all of the issues which are considered to be possibilities. That is what the office is engaged in.

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