Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I had a number of meetings with Civil Defence personnel when I visited various places around the country. I had a long interaction with members of the Civil Defence Board, including its chairman, when I went to Roscrea for the launch of the three-year plan. Considerable thought has been given to how the Civil Defence might be developed. In the past, there were concerns because the Civil Defence reports to the Department of Defence at one level, but at another level is part of the local authority system through Civil Defence officers. Some of the advantages of that structure came to light when the deployment of Civil Defence personnel was a huge advantage to local authorities during the adverse weather conditions of recent weeks and of earlier this year. Some Civil Defence vehicles are suitable for all-terrain work and for use as ambulances. The trained personnel who use such vehicles, particularly when dealing with difficult weather events, make a significant and positive contribution to the work of local authorities.

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