Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to examine the Civil Defence Bill 2023, which will replace the current suite of laws relating to Civil Defence. The main purpose of the Bill is to ensure a modern and comprehensive legislative basis for Civil Defence matters. Currently, the legislative basis for Civil Defence comprises the Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 and 1946 and the Civil Defence Act 2012. The current suite of legislation dating back to the 1940s does not adequately reflect the current role of Civil Defence and, consequently, there is a requirement for new legislation.

The White Paper on Defence in 2015 set out the need to replace the existing legislation and to provide for more modern legislation governing Civil Defence matters. The White Paper also stated that the future of Civil Defence will continue to be developed around its central strategic objective of supporting the principal response agencies, that is, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and local authorities, in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations.

The Civil Defence was established in 1951 and its volunteers have played a prominent role in supporting front-line responders during significant emergencies such as Covid-19 most recently, Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma, the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, and the Stardust tragedy in 1981 in which 48 people lost their lives.

I pay tribute to the many volunteers of the Civil Defence, both past and present. It is a remarkable organisation. I acknowledge in particular the volunteers from my constituency of Dún Laoghaire who play an active role in supporting the Garda, the Irish Coast Guard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, RNLI, and the local authority. They were prominent during the Covid-19 response, and also during significant events and tragedies, such as fires within the county, incidents at sea and regular community events such as the Kilbogget community run. I highlight, thank and recognise Lar Griffin of the Dún Laoghaire Civil Defence for his work and that of his colleagues who do tremendous work in our area.

Civil Defence volunteers are at the heart of all communities. They have a proud history and they should be supported in their work. This Bill provides for a modern and comprehensive legislative basis for Civil Defence matters. It is welcome but it must be underpinned with financial and budgetary supports. I look forward to seeing those in the next budget.

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