Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that we are progressing this Bill in line with the recommendations of the 2015 White Paper on Defence. It will bring legislation from the 1930s and 1940s into the modern practice.

The Civil Defence provides an invaluable service in supporting front-line emergency services and also local communities. I echo the comments made by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, last year when he presented members with medals of recognition for the role they played in Covid-19 and said that Civil Defence volunteers should be hugely proud of the massive contribution they made during the Covid-19 pandemic. I think everyone absolutely agrees with that.

Volunteers in Civil Defence do everything from assisting in responses to emergencies to providing trained people on equipment for search and rescue, supporting in medical response, radiation monitoring service, communications and community assistance.

As a public representative, I know how invaluable their role as volunteers in communities is across Ireland. Over my years of dealing with Civil Defence, my experience has been absolutely positive. A number of years ago, I arranged for my then councillor colleagues on South Dublin County Council to spend a day out with the Civil Defence in its station on Belgard Road. We tried our hand at fire training and we gained so much insight into the skills and the talents that all of these volunteers have and that they utilise when it comes to responding to front-line emergencies.

I was also privileged to give out annual recognition awards for members of the Civil Defence a number of years ago rewarding all of those who give so much of their time to duties. I had a motion down at the South Dublin chamber recognising their contributions to areas such as Lucan, Palmerstown, Clondalkin and the villages of Rathcoole, Newcastle and Brittas. It was great to be able to bring them into the chamber and for them to hear, right across parties, people who so appreciate the work that they do.

Civil Defence supports hundreds of community events throughout the year, both nationwide and also here in Dublin under the fantastic leadership of Mr. James McConnell and his team. These include large events, such as the air show, the tall ships, concerts, festivals and sports events, but they are really invaluable when it comes to those smaller local events. I have first-hand experience of that in terms of the four districts family fun day, which I help run along with Rathcoole Community Council and which they have been such strong supporters of every year.

I have attended their annual service in McKee Barracks. I was really sorry to miss this year's one, which was their first since the Covid pandemic. It is always a special occasion. It marks the enormous contribution of those who give so much of their free time in service to the country. It also, of course, remembers deceased volunteers, such as Commander Joe Fleming, who sadly passed away before his time.

Locally, Civil Defence has helped so many members of my community at their time of need. They were the first people out when we had gorse fires in the forests in Saggart and Rathcoole. They were on the ground when it came to the beast from the east where heavy snowfalls saw people in the more rural parts of my constituency trapped in their homes for weeks on end.

They cleared the roads and delivered people food. They were incredible during Covid-19, particularly when it came to testing and administering vaccinations. They are and were the epitome of the community sacrifice and community support that brought us through the pandemic. The work they do is absolutely and utterly invaluable. Provisions in the Bill will afford them the opportunity to strengthen what they do, to grow their ranks, to keep providing essential community and emergency responses and, ultimately, to be able to train volunteers to become lifelines for their communities.

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