Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Minister of State with responsibility for defence, I provide policy direction for Civil Defence and oversee the management and development of Civil Defence at national level. At local level, Civil Defence units are based in each local authority area under the operational control of the relevant local authority. On a day-to-day basis, these units operate under the control of a Civil Defence officer who is a full-time employee of the local authority.

Civil Defence operating costs in each county are co-funded by the Department of Defence and the local authority. The Department provides 70% of the funding by way of an annual grant, with the remaining 30% funded by the local authority. The provision of accommodation for local Civil Defence units is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. This is a long-standing position which was reaffirmed in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. Civil Defence units provide significant supports for their local authorities and other principal response agencies. I have witnessed at first hand their response to flooding events and I am aware that Westmeath Civil Defence was active in support of the local community during the flooding in late 2015 and early 2016.

Senior officials of the Department have met senior officials of Westmeath County Council to discuss the options available to the council in the provision of accommodation for Westmeath Civil Defence. The council declined an initial option of availing of Columb Barracks for use, including for use by Civil Defence. My Department has recently received correspondence from the council and I expect further engagement on the matter of accommodation for the Civil Defence unit to take place in the near future.

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