Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 84: To ask the Minister for Defence the number and type of exercises carried out by the office of emergency planning, since its inception; if a report on same has been published; if it is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17116/06]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 131: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will expand on his recent comment that he has increased the number and frequency of simulated emergency response exercises since he was appointed Minister; the number of such exercises that have taken place in that time; the reason for the increase in the number of simulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17214/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 131 together.

The Office of Emergency Planning was established, following a Government decision in October 2001, as a joint civil and military Office within my Department. The Office supports the work of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and continues to work with Government Departments and other public authorities in order to ensure the best possible use of resources and compatibility between different planning requirements.

The lead responsibility for specific emergency planning functions remains with the relevant lead Government Departments and those bodies under their aegis. Emergency plans are co-ordinated and exercised by the various lead Government Departments at a national level and through the Local Authorities, including the Fire Services, the Health Service Executive and the Garda Divisions at local and regional level.

As chairman of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I have requested Departments and key public authorities to ensure that there are structured exercise programmes in place and to report to the Task Force on the status and progress of these programmes.

I believe that the development of structured exercise programmes is essential in order to refine and develop the arrangements that exist, to continuously improve them through review and revision, and to generally provide the basis for an increased confidence in the emergency planning process. A comprehensive programme of exercises for 2006 is in train.