Press release
Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe TD announces the publication of the policy document "Civil Defence - Towards 2030"
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Today the Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe TD announced the publication of the policy document “Civil Defence - Towards 2030”. The policy document, which is the outcome of a review initiated by the Minister in September 2018, sets out Civil Defence roles and services into the future.
The review involved consultation with all stakeholders including Civil Defence Officers, Civil Defence Volunteers, the Civil Defence Inter-Agency Guidance Team, the Principal Response Agencies, including the Local Authorities who are responsible for the day to day management of Civil Defence.
The policy document reaffirms the Minister’s and government’s commitment to the continued development of Civil Defence with the Minister stating:
"We are very proud of the volunteer ethos of Civil Defence, an ethos which the government wishes to cherish and support into the future."
The Minister went on to say that:
"Volunteering within Civil Defence demonstrates the very best of Irish society. We see practical demonstrations of it on a weekly basis in our communities. The commitment of Civil Defence volunteers however comes to the fore during times of emergency. I would like to pay tribute to the significant role that Civil Defence has played in the government’s efforts to combat COVID-19 in recent months."
The policy document “Civil Defence - Towards 2030” sets out the five core Civil Defence services going forward – Emergency Response, Search and Rescue, Medical Response, Community Assistance and a Radiation Monitoring Service.
The Minister acknowledged the important role of Local Authorities in managing day to day Civil Defence operations and in particular Local Authority Civil Defence Officers.
The Minister concluded by thanking all stakeholders for engaging and shaping the policy document, “Civil Defence - Towards 2030”.
He stated:
"The emphasis will now move to implementing the policy document in conjunction with Local Authorities and all stakeholders."
ENDS