Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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497. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps he will take to provide alternative, suitable and appropriate accommodation for Westmeath Civil Defence, as the current accommodation is totally inadequate, given that there is alternative accommodation available in Columb Barracks, Mullingar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38829/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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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 through-out Ireland. The Civil Defence Branch of the Department of Defence is charged with the management and development of Civil Defence at national level. The Civil Defence Branch provides policy direction, 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 is based in each local authority area under the operational control of the relevant local authority. On a day to day basis these Units operate under the control of a Civil Defence Officer, who is an employee of the local authority.

The provision of accommodation for local Civil Defence Units is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. This is a longstanding position which was reaffirmed in the White Paper on Defence (2015).

Senior officials from the Department of Defence met with the Chief Executive, Westmeath County Council earlier this year. This has been in keeping with efforts by the Department, since the closure of Columb Barracks in 2012, to explore a number of avenues to try and 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 for use by Civil Defence.

Recently I met with a number of Westmeath Civil Defence volunteers to discuss the provision of accommodation. I advised the volunteers that although accommodation for local Civil Defence Units is a matter for each local authority, the Department of Defence will continue to work pro-actively with Westmeath County Council, to encourage them to provide appropriate accommodation for its local Civil Defence Unit.