Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Burke has four minutes.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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First of all, I thank the Minister of State with responsibility for defence, Deputy Kehoe.

Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Acting Chairman, Deputy McGrath has just made a statement to me on the way out.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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You take that up with the Ceann Comhairle's office.

Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I will indeed.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Get over it.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Gentlemen, please. Deputy Burke, without interruption.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State with responsibility for defence, Deputy Paul Kehoe, for taking this Topical Issue matter. Some weeks ago, I met the Minister of State and a number of the volunteers along with councillors Tom Farrell, Tony Martin and Joe Reilly, who are commanders in the Westmeath Civil Defence. This issue is urgent. It is about the relocation of the headquarters of the Civil Defence in County Westmeath. Currently, the Civil Defence operates in a condemned building. Serious health and safety risks are posed by this situation. Insulation is falling from the ceiling. Plasterboard has collapsed in one room. Buckets of water are on the floor collecting water day after day. The place is infested with rats. Thousands of euro of medical equipment, such as ECG machines, are lying in damp conditions and are at serious risk.

The Civil Defence is the first responder in many instances. During the serious flooding last year, the people in Westmeath saw the thousands of voluntary hours administered by the Civil Defence personnel in their role as key responders. They often complement the serious stretched emergency services and they do a fine job at that. It is often said that those who can, do, and those who can do more, volunteer.

As a public representative in Longford-Westmeath I cannot stand over the current conditions that the Civil Defence personnel operate in. I will not accept it. I want to make this clear to the Minister of State. I know he has a special interest in the Civil Defence and that he has done great work nationally in the area to communicate with Westmeath County Council. This issue has been going on since 2007. I cannot tolerate going back to Mullingar or Westmeath and seeing this continue.

Volunteers cannot attend courses because the areas and headquarters are not suitable. They do not even have basic running water at the facility. We need an integrated facility with a garage and stores. As we are all aware, large significant equipment such as boats and ambulances are needed to provide this service to the community. The local authority sector is the first sector to call on the Civil Defence when they need support and when instances arise.

My colleague, Councillor Andrew Duncan, in Mullingar put forward a motion to Westmeath County Council at the November meeting calling on the council to put a clear plan in place immediately to relocate the headquarters of the Civil Defence. I know several options are on the table. These need to be explored urgently. I will not tolerate a date past January. We need to have a clear plan in place. We have to treat volunteers with dignity and respect. We cannot allow them to continue in a condemned facility. The facility has been condemned by the health and safety officer of Westmeath County Council. I know the Minister of State has communicated with the Minster for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, calling on him to put pressure on the local authority to ensure alternative premises are secured. It is important that we work together. I know the Minister will do his best. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure a safety facility for the volunteers to allow them to discharge their service.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the Deputy's interest in this specific area. He has had much interaction with me on it. Civil Defence is a volunteer-based organisation which supports the front-line emergency services. It operates in partnership between the Department of Defence and local authorities throughout Ireland. As Minister of State with responsibility for defence, one of my functions is to provide policy direction to Civil Defence. The White Paper on Defence, which charts the future development of Civil Defence, states that the primary role of Civil Defence is, as Deputy Burke outlined, to support the principal response agencies. Civil Defence supports An Garda Síochána, the HSE and the local authorities in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations. The Department of Defence manages and develops Civil Defence at national level. The Civil Defence branch of the Department provides centralised training, administrative support and guidance and centralised procurement of major items of uniform and equipment in support of local authority Civil Defence efforts.

At local level, Civil Defence units are based in each local authority area under the operational control of the relevant local authority. These units operate on a day-to-day basis under the control of a Civil Defence officer, who is a full-time employee of the local authority. Civil Defence is a key element of each local authority's emergency response arrangements. Volunteers from Civil Defence have responded effectively when required over recent years, most recently during the flooding events that occurred in the latter part of 2015 and lasted well into 2016. Volunteer members of Civil Defence under the management of Civil Defence officers contributed significantly to the alleviation of hardship and supported their communities. I am aware that Westmeath Civil Defence and other units throughout the country were very active during this period.

Civil Defence units provide other critical supports to the principal response agencies on an ongoing basis. For example, Civil Defence volunteers frequently undertake search and rescue operations in support of An Garda Síochána. Civil Defence volunteers provide ongoing community supports in their local authority areas and contribute to the safe management of events that attract large crowds. Civil Defence volunteers deserve the support of the Department of Defence and the local authorities for which they respond. Civil Defence units in each county are generally funded on a 70-30 basis. Most of their funding comes through an annual grant from the Department of Defence, with the balance coming from the local authority. The provision of accommodation for local Civil Defence units is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. This long-standing position was reaffirmed in the 2015 White Paper on Defence.

I am aware of the situation regarding accommodation for Westmeath Civil Defence. I recently met a number of volunteers from Westmeath Civil Defence who outlined their concerns with the existing accommodation arrangements. I understand this matter has been raised at a meeting of Westmeath County Council. Along with Deputy Burke, who organised the meeting, and Councillor Tom Farrell, I met volunteers Tom Martin and Joe O'Reilly. I advised them that although accommodation for local Civil Defence units is a matter for each local authority, the Department of Defence will continue to work proactively with Westmeath County Council to encourage it to provide appropriate accommodation for its Civil Defence unit. Senior officials from the Department of Defence met senior officials from Westmeath County Council earlier this year. This was in keeping with the Department's efforts since the closure of Columb Barracks in 2012 to explore a number of avenues to try to secure the long-term future of the former barracks for the benefit of the local community. To date, Westmeath County Council has declined the option of availing of Columb Barracks for use, including by Civil Defence. Most recently, Westmeath County Council advised officials in the Department of Defence that it is conducting a review of the accommodation for Civil Defence in Westmeath. While the provision of accommodation is a matter for Westmeath County Council, departmental officials have offered to provide any advice required by the council in developing its outline plan for accommodation for Westmeath Civil Defence.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. The volunteers of Westmeath Civil Defence asked me a number of weeks ago to visit the facility at Culleen Beg. It would be an understatement to say that I was shocked to see the disgraceful facilities in which Westmeath Civil Defence is operating. The White Paper on Defence, which has been mentioned, clarifies the demarcation lines and provides that the capital budget must be provided for within the local authority. The Government cannot stand by and allow this to continue. We have to shout "Stop". We should contact the local authority morning, noon and night in order to ensure that its puts a plan in place by January at the latest. I note what the Minister of State said about the Department's ongoing dealings with Westmeath County Council in respect of Columb Barracks in Mullingar. I think every avenue should be explored. We need a plan. We cannot go forward after January with option after option. I could not tolerate that. We need action in this case.

Councillor Andrew Duncan has been driving this matter very hard within Westmeath County Council. I mentioned the motion he has tabled. He is trying to get a clear plan in place. This problem has existed since 2007. It is not good enough that the local authority is not making progress with this more quickly. We need to ensure that it is resolved. When Councillor Tom Farrell and I met the Minister of State, we showed him a number of photographs of the facility. There is no way we can expect volunteers to operate in such shocking conditions. If we continue like this, we will find one day that there are no volunteers. If we respect people, we should treat them with dignity rather than expecting them to operate in a facility of this standard. I guarantee the Minister of State and the people of County Westmeath that I will follow up this issue to the best of my ability.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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During the summer, I sent an official from the Department of Defence to a public meeting regarding Columb Barracks in Mullingar to listen to the concerns of the local community. I understood at that time that a feasibility study was to be carried out. I have not yet received such a study from the local community. I am waiting on it. The involvement of Westmeath County Council would be required in that context. If no feasibility study has been received by the first quarter of next year, I will proceed with the sale of the barracks in Athlone. I have to say in response to the concerns expressed by the Deputy that I do not believe the barracks in Athlone is an option. Westmeath County Council has to become very proactive here in order to solve what I believe is a real and live issue. The Deputy is right when he says he showed me photographs of the Civil Defence facilities in Westmeath. The wooden structure is not suitable because the roof has fallen in. I understand the seriousness of the situation.

I assure Deputy Burke that I am proactive in this regard. I want the strong and active membership of Westmeath Civil Defence to be accommodated. That is why I have made an appeal to the local authority. I have written to my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, who shares responsibility for this issue with the local authorities, to appeal to him to engage with the chief executive officer of Westmeath County Council and the senior officials in the council to ensure suitable accommodation is found for the members of Westmeath Civil Defence. The Deputy spoke about the equipment, etc., that is stored at the Westmeath Civil Defence facility. The Department of Defence has made a financial commitment to all Civil Defence units across the country so that they will have the best equipment. It is time for Westmeath County Council and other relevant parties to find a suitable location where Westmeath Civil Defence can be accommodated. I assure the Deputy that I will continue to follow up on this issue.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure the Minister of State will do so. That brings today's rather lively Topical Issue debates to a conclusion. I thank the Deputies who participated in it.