Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The Army has two roles domestically - aid to the civil power, which we have been discussing, and aid to the civil authority, which means the Army can be called in in the event of an emergency. The emergency planning committee meets approximately once every month or six weeks; a meeting is due to take place in the next week or so. The last meeting was three or four weeks ago. There are long-standing arrangements in place and liaison between the Army and the various emergency services. The Army will be available if required, as it usually is in the event of an emergency, in its role as being able to be called on as an aid to the civil authority as opposed to as an aid to the civil power. Aid to the civil power is a matter of whether the gardaí want the Army's assistance.

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