Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Defence when the Government task force on emergency planning last met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26047/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government task force on emergency planning last met on Tuesday, 20 September 2005. The membership of the task force includes Ministers, senior officials of Departments, senior officers of the Defence Forces and the Garda, and officials of other key public authorities that have a lead or support role in Government emergency planning. The work of the task force continues and there have been 41 meetings to date. Further meetings will be held on a regular basis as required. The office of emergency planning within my Department supports the work of the task force and continues to work with Departments and other public authorities to ensure the best use of resources and compatibility between different emergency planning requirements. A key area of activity of the task force is oversight of emergency planning to refine and develop the arrangements that exist, to continuously improve them through regular review and revision and to generally provide the basis for an increased confidence in the emergency planning process.

An interdepartmental working group on emergency planning supports the work of the task force and carries out studies and oversight of emergency planning structures and processes. The working group has met on 37 occasions and it encompasses all Departments with lead roles in the various Government emergency plans and key public authorities, including the Defence Forces, which plan to support such activities. The working group, under the guidance of the Government task force, continues to meet on a regular basis and is chaired by the office of emergency planning. It is a forum for developing strategic guidance to all those involved and for sharing information on emergency planning.

The lead responsibility for specific emergency planning functions remains with the relevant Departments, as do the budgetary and resource management requirements. Emergency plans are co-ordinated by the various lead Departments at a national level and through the local authorities, including the fire service, the Health Service Executive and the Garda divisions at local and regional levels. The Defence Forces contribute significantly to the work of both the Government task force and the interdepartmental working group on emergency planning. The Defence Forces emergency planning and preparations are of the highest standard and are well co-ordinated with the lead Departments and other key public authorities.

The Departments and key public authorities involved have responsibilities under a number of strategic areas of Government emergency planning and regularly report on developments and progress at meetings of the task force. The Government's objective is to ensure all State bodies can react quickly and efficiently to a large scale emergency. Each of the Departments represented at the task force has assured the office of emergency planning it is addressing its emergency planning responsibilities and plans and response arrangements are in place to address large scale emergencies in Ireland.

As chairman of the task force, my approach continues to be that such responses must be characterised by effective management of all aspects of emergency planning and by a high level of public confidence in all the response arrangements. Review and refinement arrangements will ensure co-ordination of all those responding so that should we be unfortunate enough to experience a large scale emergency, we will mount a credible response.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

I will continue to report regularly on a confidential basis to Government on emergency planning. I am pleased to report to this House that there continues to be excellent co-operation between my Department and all other Departments and public authorities in these vital areas.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. Has the task force been allocated funding since 2001? How is it resourced? Has the task force overseen exercises? If so, have reports been published on how they were carried out and on whether they were successful? In 2003 the Emergency Planning Society recommended to Government that emergency planning should be underpinned by legislation and an emergency planning authority should be created? In other words, one group would be responsible with one person in charge and this would be underpinned by legislation.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The task force comprises representatives of various Departments and, therefore, funding is not required per se. We try to meet at least once a month in Government Buildings. I chair the task force.

The recommendation to which the Deputy referred reflects the emergency planning model used in Britain and the US. It is generally felt, although perhaps not by the group to which the Deputy referred, that the model we use under which Departments are responsible for their own plans and it is the task of Government to co-ordinate the entire operation is more appropriate to Ireland's circumstances and it has worked well. Fortunately, we have not experienced a large scale terrorist attack or a nuclear explosion. However, the outbreak of foot and mouth disease several years ago was handled well, using the emergency planning process. I remain confident the arrangements in place are best suited to Ireland's circumstances. Just because the British or the Americans use a particular system does not mean it is right. Our system is similar to that adopted by Spain. The Spanish had to deal with an unfortunate incident in the not too distant past, which they dealt with well.

A full programme of exercises has been carried out and all the exercises were extremely successful. I will ask my officials to make the full list available to the Deputy.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I do not wish to get into a debate about appointees to State boards. However, the Civil Defence, which comprises 6,000 personnel, is an important element of emergency planning. The Minster recently came in for criticism following the appointment of a former Fianna Fáil councillor to lead the body. What expertise has he in this area? It is a strange appointment.

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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That is a separate question, not a supplementary.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In the US, Mr. Brown who had been appointed by Mr. Bush had to step down from his emergency planning post when it emerged he did not have experience of crisis management. Why did the Minister make this appointment?

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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This is a separate question but I have no problem responding to it. The person I appointed is eminently well qualified for the job. He has vast experience both in business and in the public sector, where he worked for many years as a community welfare officer. He has administrative experience as a member of Limerick County Council. He served in the FCA for many years and he is well known as a community leader in the area. His association with a political party should not disqualify him.