Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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792. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if An Garda Síochána has participated in planned live field exercises with the Defence Forces with a view to assessing the State’s contingency capability for effective co-ordinated responses to terrorist incidents and ensuring it is fit for purpose; if so, if such exercises have been followed by immediate professional lessons identified and lessons learned processes; the number of times such exercises have taken place in 2016 and to date 2017; the number of Garda personnel involved in each of the exercises; and if such exercises are planned in the future. [27582/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that it is generally not the practice to disclose the detail of the security arrangements that are in place to deal with threats to the State, including the threat from international terrorism. However, I want to assure the Deputy and the House that, contrary to what can only be described as unhelpful recent public commentary, the Garda and Defence Forces Authorities work together on an ongoing basis to ensure preparedness for effective responses to terrorist incidents.

This work takes place bilaterally at strategic and operational levels between the Gardaí and Defence Forces and it is also pursued in the broader context of the State's overall framework for Major Emergency Management that ensure cross-agency co-ordination.

Of its nature, the detail of much of this work should not be disclosed publicly, but the Deputy should be assured that it goes on continuously. I am however, happy to confirm to the Deputy that joint training and scenario-based exercises have been and are conducted, and that these arrangements are carried out and followed-up in accordance with best practice.

It is also important to note that overall national emergency management arrangements are in place, involving all the different agencies of the State. Overseen by the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and co-ordinated by the Office of Emergency Planning, all the various agencies and bodies continue to work together in supporting co-ordinated responses to any incident that might arise. A feature of the emergency planning framework is the conduct of multi-agency exercises to test and to enhance preparedness, and exercises in respect of terrorist incidents have been and will continue to be included in those arrangements. Once again such exercises are conducted in accordance with best practice.