Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 510: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding has been made available to ensure meeting Ireland's commitment to the EU civil protection mechanism; what the mechanism entails; and if he will report on the matter. [30490/06]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 511: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if EU funding has been applied for, including from the Leonardo Da Vinci fund, to ensure that Irish emergency personnel are adequately trained to fulfil Ireland's commitment to the EU's civil protection mechanism; and if he will report on the matter. [30491/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 511 together.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism provides for interventions both inside and outside the European Union following a request for assistance (personnel, equipment and/or supplies) from a country where the domestic emergency services are unable to cope in the aftermath of a major natural or man-made disaster. Under the Mechanism, when a request for assistance is received at the EU Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), this request is transmitted to all of the participating states and offers of assistance are co-ordinated by the MIC and relayed to the requesting country. The requesting country then decides which offers (or elements of offers) to accept.

Ireland participates fully in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. When a request for assistance is received by my Department from the MIC, it is examined in consultation with other Government Departments and relevant agencies and a decision is made on whether an offer of assistance can be made. Participation in the Mechanism following a request for assistance is voluntary and does not involve any prior commitment, financial or otherwise.

Ireland is committed to relevant training programmes, exercises and expert exchanges in the field of Civil Protection. Eight Irish nominees have undertaken civil protection training courses to date. The courses in question are the Community Mechanism Induction Course, the Operational Management Course and the High Level Co-ordination Course. These training courses are essentially directed at team leaders and incident assessors.

The Leonardo da Vinci II programme is the EU's Vocational Training Programme; it has no direct relevance to the operation of the Civil Protection Mechanism. My Department has not applied for funding under this programme.