Le: Ard-Rúnaí na Roinne Cosanta; Jacqui McCrum
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Check against delivery
I’m delighted to be able to join you again this year at the Civil Defence Officers’ Association National Training Seminar. My warmest thanks to the Civil Defence Officers’ Association and Kilkenny Civil Defence for organising this year’s event. No one ever passes up an excuse to visit the beautiful city of Kilkenny and the Hotel Kilkenny is a lovely venue.
This is my third year attending and it is an event I look forward to as an invaluable opportunity to meet with Civil Defence Officers and Volunteers from across the State. We are immensely grateful for your continued commitment in support of both emergency response and of the community, and I am delighted to be here amongst you again, to thank you in person.
I know that many of you will be coming to the end of a very busy summer. Indeed, increasingly, the asks are continuous throughout the year. I am aware that there are constant requests for support, particularly in missing person searches and in response to weather events. This conference is a very welcome opportunity to catch up with you to hear and discuss issues of common concern.
Reflecting on the year, now nearly past, it’s certainly been a busy one for Civil Defence. In the period up to the end of October, you have completed more than 2,500 taskings across the country, with 1,700 in support of community events, 490 in medical response, and the remainder in search, emergency response and national events. While a huge amount of focus will always go to the emergency response, I think it is critically important to also acknowledge the level of support provided for community events, many of which could not take place without your input.
On a strategic level, I know that Cep and her team in the Branch concluded their visits to each Unit across the State earlier in the year, getting a true picture of what you do and how you do it. This was an important initiative, to afford the senior team in the Branch the opportunity to see the challenges that you face each and every day.
In March, Tánaiste Micheál Martin took great pleasure in presenting Long Service Medals to nearly 100 Volunteers from across the country, in acknowledgement of 30, 40, 50 and even 60 years’ service. It was an opportune reminder of the personal commitment Volunteers give to Civil Defence and how this commitment can span across decades of service. The department will work to ensure another similar ceremony can take place in 2025, to allow us the opportunity of giving Volunteers the recognition due to them.
While medals are an appropriate means of recognising individual service in the Civil Defence, fostering and growing the service requires us to properly resource Units. This is something that we do in partnership with your Local Authority.
Since 2019, the Department of Defence has secured some €3.8 million in Dormant Account Funding allocations to modernise the Civil Defence Fleet. The fruits of this funding can be seen in the fleet of new vehicles and boats that are being rolled out across the units. Each year, our request for continuing, or – where possible – increased, funding must be accompanied by a clear business case. The new Volunteer and Equipment Management System is now starting to provide the key information that is needed to support the business case, with real-time information available as required. Just this week, the Department of Rural and Community Development published its 2025 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan. I’m pleased to see that Civil Defence was once again successful is securing funding for fleet modernisation.
This year, the Dormant Accounts Fund allocation was expanded to include boats. As we complete our review of Boat Operations across the state, we will commence a plan to upgrade or provision additional vessels to meet the service requirements.
Similarly, the department is working to upgrade and standardise other equipment needed by Volunteers through central procurement. I know that you will be aware of the new workwear roll-out, which is now in progress and on display here this week. Other procurements are also in progress and will continue into 2025.
It has been hugely encouraging to see continued, if gradual, progress on Civil Defence premises. This year Minister Burke officially opened Cavan’s new Civil Defence building in May, while the Tánaiste opened the new Dublin Civil Defence HQ in September.
I understand Roscommon’s new facility is close to completion and several other Local Authorities have plans for improved premises in the pipeline. I do recognise that this can be a complex process and the department will continue to assist the Local Authorities where it can.
Modern and comfortable premises are key to attracting new recruits and vitally important to ensuring that we rebuild our Volunteer numbers to the required levels. In this regard, I know that many units are progressing with a new probationer intake, and I want to acknowledge and thank you for this. I know that the Branch is developing some social media videos to assist in raising the Civil Defence profile and I hope that this will be of assistance to you in attracting new volunteers.
I mentioned the number of duties completed to date in 2024, and I would like to reference just a small number that I think demonstrate the breadth and importance of the service that you provide. Most recently, many of you across the southern and western seaboards were on call or responding to weather events, during Storm Ashley. Many of you have also been engaged in significant numbers of missing person searches, in Mayo, Wexford, Cork, Clare, Longford, Laois and many other counties. There were some critically important medical interventions, most recently in Kerry, but I know there have been many others. You received enormous acknowledgement for medical cover during Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, and I know that many of you assisted the Branch at the National Ploughing Championships. These are just a small number, but they do reflect a level of commitment and professionalism replicated throughout Civil Defence.
I know that all of the above is completed in parallel with your certified and uncertified training, and I know that many of your recently completed your instructor re-certifications.
Looking forward, while no one can predict the outcome of the coming General Election, Civil Defence has little to worry about. As an organisation, you have universal support across the political spectrum. Our elected representatives, with their close community links, know exactly the value of your contribution to your community, week in, week out, year after year.
The department’s priorities for Civil Defence are clear – to continue to provide Civil Defence with the capability it needs to fulfil its five core services as outlined in Towards 2030.
In this context, and in addition to the provision of vehicles and equipment, the department intends to resume the regional exercise process. I know that the first of these is happening in Clare next week. I wish you the very best, and I look forward to hearing the results!
The department is also conscious of its role in providing policy guidance for Civil Defence Units, ensuring we all sing off the same hymn sheet and adopt and implement key policies in a consistent and safe manner. We will, in consultation with CDOs, continue to roll out updated policies and training in areas such as welfare and evacuation, flood response and pumping. We will also work with CDOs to update all policies over the coming year.
Finally, can I congratulate the Civil Defence Officers’ Association on a successful event again this year and wish you all the very best for the remainder of the Conference.