{"id":26929,"date":"2023-09-07T21:35:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T21:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/?p=26929"},"modified":"2024-01-15T21:33:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T21:33:49","slug":"civil-defence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil Defence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Background\" title=\"Background\">Background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Civil_Defence\" title=\"Civil Defence\">Civil Defence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Reform\" title=\"Reform\">Reform<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Members\" title=\"Members\">Members<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Local_Authority_Plans\" title=\"Local Authority Plans\">Local Authority Plans<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/civil-defence\/#Former_Board_Dissolved\" title=\"Former Board Dissolved\">Former Board Dissolved<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Background\"><\/span>Background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The volunteer air raid protection organisation had been in operation during the Second World War but was disbanded once hostilities ceased.\u00a0 However, during the Cold War, the government determined that the civil defence organisation was necessary to cope with a nuclear attack or like situation that may arise. The local authorities were first required to make schemes for civil divisions under the Air-Raid Precautions Act 1939.<\/p>\n<p>The Civil Defence was set up in 1950 to be a national defence structure by way of civil response to hazards which might arise in a war situation.\u00a0 The organisation was designed to undertake non-combatant activities and to afford defence against and mitigate the effects on persons and properties of an attack on the State or of hazards arising during times of war or emergency such as radioactive, biological or chemical warfare.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Civil_Defence\"><\/span>Civil Defence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Civil Defence is a volunteer-based organization that supports the front-line emergency services. It assists our local communities. Civil Defence has 3,500 volunteer members throughout Ireland. It has \u00a0volunteers trained in each of the following services:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Casualty<\/li>\n<li>Search and Rescue<\/li>\n<li>Auxiliary Fire Service<\/li>\n<li>Radiation Monitoring<\/li>\n<li>Welfare<\/li>\n<li>Communications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Civil Defence supports the frontline emergency services in dealing with severe weather, flooding, major accidents, firefighting and searching for missing people. It\u00a0 \u00a0supports hundreds of community events throughout the year. These include large events such as air shows, tall ships, concerts and festivals, sports events. We also support smaller local events such as parades.<\/p>\n<p>The Civil defence is split into 32 administrative areas on the basis of local authority administrative areas.\u00a0 The home of the Civil Defence is in Roscrea, County Tipperary.\u00a0Civil defence is funded 70\/30 by the Department of Finance and the local authority.<\/p>\n<p>Civil Defence operates under legislation that includes the Air Raid Precautions Act 1939\/1946, Local Government Acts of 1941 to 2001, various Statutory Instruments and the Civil Defence Act 2002\/2012. Under the Civil Defence Act 2002 \u00a0the Civil Defence Board was established to manage and develop Civil Defence at national level.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reform\"><\/span>Reform<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Civil Defence Act 2002 updated Civil Defence legislation.\u00a0 It had formerly operated under the Air-Raid Precautions Acts 1939 and 1946, which dated back to the emergency in Ireland during World War II.<\/p>\n<p>The Act established the Civil Defence Board and provided for its functions and memberships and for the appointment of a Director General.\u00a0 The functions in relation to civil defence under the Air-Raid Precautions Act 1939 in relation to training of persons and supplying of equipment were transferred to the Board.<\/p>\n<p>The funding of the Board was by way of grant in \u00a0aid from the defence vote and was to be expended solely for civil defence purposes. \u00a0The Board may carry on its work through committees.<\/p>\n<p>Each local authority was to provide the Board with a three year development plan and include information relating to civil defence in its annual report.\u00a0 General criteria for the provision of grants by the Board to the local authorities for civil defence activities was provided for.\u00a0 There was provision for establishing procedures for recruitment and registration of civil defence members.<\/p>\n<p>On 1st January 2013, the Civil Defence Board was dissolved in accordance with the Civil Defence Act 2012. The functions rested in the Civil Defence Board have been transferred back to the Minister for Defence. References to the Board are to take effect accordingly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Members\"><\/span>Members<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A register of civil defence members is to be established.\u00a0 Information to be entered includes name and address and telephone number of members, date of birth, qualifications and experience relevant to civil defence, date of registration, registration number and other information.<\/p>\n<p>Pre-existing members were to be entered.\u00a0 The register was to be kept at the offices of the local authority and made available for inspection by the City and County Manager, the Board and civil defence members in relation to information concerning them personally. There is provision for rectification of errors in the register.<\/p>\n<p>The Board may subject to the consent of the Minister, make regulations establishing procedures for recruitment of persons as civil defence members.\u00a0 The regulations may include eligibility criteria, the form and manner in which application for registration is made and the conditions for retaining \u00a0memberships.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Local_Authority_Plans\"><\/span>Local Authority Plans<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Local authorities are obliged to prepare civil defence plans.\u00a0 The Civil defence plan is to specify the key objectives and strategies, including the local use of resources with regard to local authority\u2019s functions in relation to civil defence, recruitment of persons for the performance of civil defence tasks, education and training of civil defence members.<\/p>\n<p>The plan\u00a0 is to be prepared in the form and manner that the Board may determine having regard to the need to ensure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of resources.\u00a0 The plan was to be renewed every three year.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Former_Board_Dissolved\"><\/span>Former Board Dissolved<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On 1st January 2013, the Civil Defence Board was dissolved in accordance with the Civil Defence Act 2012. The functions rested in the Civil Defence Board have been transferred back to the Minister for Defence.<\/p>\n<p>The Board was to prepare and submit a strategic plan to the Minister for approval.\u00a0 This was to be revised every three year.\u00a0 It was to specify the key objectives and strategies of the Board relating to the future development of civil defence; be prepared in the form and manner directed by the Minister, have regard to the need to effect beneficial and efficient use of resources.<\/p>\n<p>It was contemplated that the Board would establish the following committees:\u00a0planning and development, education and training, recruitment, health, safety and procurement.<\/p>\n<p>The Board was to be financed from grants from the Minister.\u00a0 It was empowered to provide charges for the provision of its services. In 2013, the Civil Defence Board was dissolved, and its functions were transferred back to the Minister for Defence.<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-26929\" data-postid=\"26929\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-26929 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Background The volunteer air raid protection organisation had been in operation during the Second World War but was disbanded once hostilities ceased.\u00a0 However, during the Cold War, the government determined that the civil defence organisation was necessary to cope with a nuclear attack or like situation that may arise. The local authorities were first required [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26929"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30699,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26929\/revisions\/30699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}