Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Defence when the task force on emergency planning which he chairs last met; if the task force is involved in the response plans to a potential avian flu pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32040/05]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Defence when the task force on emergency planning last met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31907/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 60 together.

The Government task force on emergency planning last met on Tuesday, 20 September 2005. The next meeting of the task force is scheduled to take place on 9 November. The task force has met on 41 occasions to date.

Arrangements to deal with any possible flu pandemic fall into two main categories. My colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children has lead responsibility for the situation where the avian influenza virus mutates in such a way that it becomes easily transferable from human to human, and is addressing the various issues that may arise. A detailed plan for response to an influenza pandemic was prepared in 2004. This plan is currently being updated to reflect the most up to date advice of the influenza pandemic expert group and the World Health Organisation. Her Department has established an interdepartmental standing committee on public health emergency planning, which is due to meet later this month.

My colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, has lead responsibility for dealing with the spread of the existing avian flu virus and she continues to reassess the level of risk and to update the contingency arrangements which are in place. Her Department will continue to keep the level of risk under assessment, taking account of the most up to date advice. The Government task force on emergency planning, which I chair, is regularly briefed and kept up to date on these matters.

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 possible 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 also exists.

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 and the Health Service Executive. The Departments and key public authorities involved have particular 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 objective of the Government is to ensure all State bodies can react quickly and efficiently to any large-scale emergency. Each of the Departments represented at the task force has assured the office of emergency planning that it is addressing its emergency planning responsibilities and that there are plans and response arrangements 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 be in a position to mount a credible response. I will continue to report regularly, on a confidential basis, to Government on emergency planning and it is my intention to bring the next confidential annual report to Government on emergency planning later this month. I am pleased to report to the House that there continues to be excellent co-operation between my Department and all other Departments and public authorities in these vital areas.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Does the Minister share my concern that we do not appear to have a written plan? Even though we are informed that the plans are being revised, we have been briefed on this side of the House by the Department of Health and Children, the HSE and others to that effect. Are there sufficient anti-virals for members of the Defence Forces, who will be on the frontline? What powers will members of the defence forces have in the event of the worst case scenario, a flu pandemic when the disease becomes transmissible from human to human? Will they have real powers to stop crowds from gathering and making the pandemic worse and does he foresee any constitutional difficulties in that? I understand the Health Act 1947 gives the Defence Forces certain powers.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I assure the Deputy there is a specific public health emergency plan, which has been discussed at the emergency planning task force. It was produced in September 2004 and some changes were recommended last July following further advice and research conducted by the World Health Organisation. Several people were assigned to incorporating those changes in the plan and I expect them to be completed by the end of the month.

We have sufficient anti-virals for the Defence Forces. We will perform better on this issue than our nearest neighbours, the UK. The UK has targeted anti-virals for approximately 25% of the population, as we have. They will not have the stocks fully in place until the end of next year but we should have them by the spring and will have some by the end of the year, some of which will be reserved for front-line staff such as the Defence Forces.

I am assured the Defence Forces will have sufficient powers in the event of an emergency. The Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and emergency services will have comprehensive powers in that event. This was demonstrated during the recent foot and mouth crisis. The emergency planning task force is meeting next Wednesday and will discuss whether there is a need for legislative changes or to reinterpret any legislation in this area. After that meeting I will write to the Deputy on that matter.