Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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In 2002, Dr. Michael Ryan was appointed chairman of the Civil Defence Board by the then Minister of State at the Department of Defence and Government Chief Whip, Deputy Brennan. Speaking of the appointment at the time, Deputy Brennan indicated that he was highly delighted that people of the highest calibre had agreed to serve on the board during a very important phase in the development of the Civil Defence. Just over a year ago, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, signed the order formally establishing the board. He predicted that in a very short while the board would be in a position to take over the effective control of the organisation at national level from the Department of Defence.

It appears the Minister for Defence in pursuing decentralisation in a manner which lacks consideration or consultation has squandered the positive relationship between his Department and the board. The relationship has deteriorated to the extent that legal advice has been taken and the chairman, in whom the Minister had formerly such confidence, is being squeezed out of his position.

On 23 April 2003, the Minister for Defence requested the Secretary General of his Department to investigate the manner in which Dr. Ryan was carrying out his duties as chairman of the Civil Defence Board. On 4 May, earlier this month, the Minister wrote to Dr. Ryan to inform him clearly and unambiguously that he was contemplating removing him from his position as chairman and revoking his membership of the board. This is indicative of the turn-about in relations between the chairman of the Civil Defence Board and the Minister for Defence. The chairman was appointed on the recommendation of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, and the Minister, Deputy Michael Smith, has professed his full confidence in Dr. Ryan's abilities. How quickly this has changed, with the Minister for Defence now taking the highly provocative action of asking his officials to trawl through the minutes of meetings of the Civil Defence board and asking people to report on telephone conversations they had with Dr. Ryan.

While the Government has always maintained that decentralisation would be a voluntary matter for those involved, the Department of Defence appears to be asserting in the most adamant fashion that decentralisation of Civil Defence headquarters will go ahead without reference to the concerns of the board or the 30 or so staff who will be affected. Paramount among these concerns is the suitability of the proposed building to house headquarters. The proposed building which is located at an industrial estate on the outskirts of Roscrea has been leased by the Office of Public Works. The Civil Defence board proposes the creation of a school of civil defence offering diplomas and degree courses in emergency management. There is considerable concern that the leased building will not meet the requirements of running these courses. The decentralisation of staff from Dublin to Roscrea has run into difficulties as a result of the Minister's insistence on this accommodation without consulting the board. This gung-ho attitude is contrary to stated Government policy on decentralisation and may ultimately prove damaging to the operation of the Civil Defence.

Civil defence is often critical to the security and protection of people everywhere. With more than 6,000 volunteers under the authority of 32 Civil Defence officers, the provision of a volunteer civil defence capability is relied upon for the smooth and safe running of many events. Civil Defence volunteers offer invaluable support to the Garda and Defence Forces which should be built upon, not weakened. Unfortunately, in his haste to relocate Civil Defence headquarters to his home town, the Minister for Defence appears to have placed a much higher priority on local political advantage than on engaging in meaningful dialogue with the Civil Defence Board. The Minister must clarify his role in this matter without delay.

Michael Smith (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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It is patent nonsense to suggest there is a developing crisis within the Civil Defence Board. I am involved in a course of action on the position of its chairman and I have valid and strong reasons for embarking on this course of action. As the process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to make further comment at this stage. I expect that the matter will come to a conclusion within the next two weeks.

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending a major Civil Defence exercise in Sligo. In the course of my address to the Civil Defence members who had participated in the exercise, I expressed my pride in and commitment to the organisation. The Government is grateful to each member of the Civil Defence for his or her commitment and huge contribution to the organisation, local communities and the wider public.

As a strong believer and advocate of the Civil Defence, I have always been of the view that the organisation must be properly equipped to carry out its duties. I am very pleased to say that since I became Minister for Defence in 1997, over €7 million has been expended on the purchase of equipment by the Department of Defence for issue to local authorities for Civil Defence use. This equipment includes a total of 116 vehicles of all types with a total purchase value of €2.6 million, protective clothing and specialised footwear to a value of over €2 million and 22 inflatable boats to a value of €300,000 for use in river, lake and shore rescue operations. This expenditure has been facilitated by the increase in the Civil Defence budget of €635,000 per annum since 2000, as promised in the White Paper on Defence. While part of this funding has been directed to increased training grants for local authorities, the majority has been used to augment the quantity and quality of Civil Defence equipment.

The invaluable assistance provided by Civil Defence volunteers in times of national crisis, including the recent foot and mouth disease threat, together with the major role played by the Civil Defence in flood relief efforts in Dublin and adjoining counties, the midlands, south and west has justifiably been recognised by the public. More recently, the extensive involvement of the Civil Defence in the Special Olympics World Games around the country and in the ceremonies at Croke Park has considerably raised the profile of the organisation. The decentralisation of Civil Defence headquarters to Roscrea is in its final stages. The organisation will be moving into its new offices during the summer.