I propose to take Questions Nos. 635 to 637, inclusive, together.
Civil Defence Volunteers who declare an interest in qualifying as Instructors at local level are obliged to undertake significant additional training. Qualification, through the Civil Defence College, is to a national standard. Instructor certification is generally issued through the College and the relevant national certifying agency. In order to maintain their Instructor qualification they are expected to deliver a minimum number of courses per annum.
I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of Civil Defence Volunteer Instructors. The skills demonstrated by Volunteers in responding to emergencies and at community events are testament to the high quality training they have received locally. A system has been in place for many years to allow for the payment of a fee to qualified Instructors for delivering courses of instruction at local level. The fees are paid by the local authorities from the annual grant provided by my Department to local authorities for Civil Defence purposes.
In 2013 an Equality Tribunal decision in a case brought by two Instructors in Offaly deemed that payment of Instructor Fees gave rise to employment status. Consequently my Department sought legal advice from the Attorney General’s Office with regard to the implications of the Equality Tribunal decision for Civil Defence. That advice favoured the abolition of Instructor Fees. Further advice has been obtained from the Attorney General’s Office and my Department is now considering how best to proceed in the matter.
In the interim, Instructors Fees continue to be paid. Local authorities, their Civil Defence Officers and the Volunteer Representative on the Civil Defence Forum been consulted on the matter and their views will be taken into consideration before any decision is made. Travel and subsistence payments, where applicable, are not affected by the Tribunal decision.
As I have stated publicly on a number of occasions, I would like to pay tribute on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government to all Civil Defence Volunteers who unselfishly provide assistance to their local communities in time of need. Table ‘A’ sets out the number of Volunteers within Civil Defence in each local authority area as recorded in the Civil Defence Register to a total of 4492 as of 24th April 2014. Table ‘B’ sets out the number of Civil Defence training centres within each of those local authority areas. Table ‘C’ sets out the total amounts paid in Instructor Fees in each authority area, together with the number of claimants, as advised to my Department by local authorities for 2012.
Table ‘A’
NUMBER OF ACTIVE CIVIL DEFENCE VOLUNTEERS AS OF 24
TH
APRIL 2014
UNIT
|
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS
|
Carlow
|
72
|
Cavan
|
281
|
Clare
|
180
|
Cork City
|
103
|
Cork West
|
88
|
Cork South
|
55
|
Cork North
|
105
|
Donegal
|
113
|
Dublin
|
671
|
Galway
|
450
|
Kerry
|
127
|
Kildare
|
61
|
Kilkenny
|
50
|
Laois
|
106
|
Leitrim
|
39
|
Limerick City
|
99
|
Limerick County
|
104
|
Longford
|
87
|
Louth
|
117
|
Mayo
|
120
|
Meath
|
195
|
Monaghan
|
124
|
Offaly
|
58
|
Roscommon
|
115
|
Sligo
|
131
|
Tipperary North
|
77
|
Tipperary South
|
213
|
Waterford City
|
74
|
Waterford County
|
108
|
Westmeath
|
106
|
Wexford
|
177
|
Wicklow
|
86
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS
|
4492
|
Table ‘B’
Civil Defence training centres in each local authority area
Civil Defence Unit Training Centres
Carlow
|
4
|
Cavan
|
11
|
Clare
|
3
|
Cork City
|
1
|
Cork West
|
3
|
Cork South
|
3
|
Cork North
|
1
|
Donegal
|
4
|
Dublin
|
11
|
Galway
|
5
|
Kerry
|
6
|
Kildare
|
1
|
Kilkenny
|
1
|
Laois
|
4
|
Leitrim
|
1
|
Limerick City
|
1
|
Limerick County
|
5
|
Longford
|
3
|
Louth
|
1
|
Mayo
|
2
|
Meath
|
8
|
Monaghan
|
3
|
Offaly
|
3
|
Roscommon
|
2
|
Sligo
|
6
|
Tipperary North
|
3
|
Tipperary South
|
8
|
Waterford City
|
1
|
Waterford County
|
4
|
Westmeath
|
2
|
Wexford
|
3
|
Wicklow
|
5
|
TOTAL
|
119
|
Table ‘C’
Instructor Fees paid in 2012
Unit
|
Fees
|
Claimants
|
Carlow
|
€0
|
0
|
Cavan
|
€9,233.56
|
11
|
Clare
|
€2,631.85
|
5
|
Cork City
|
€262.39
|
3
|
Cork North
|
€9,050.19
|
16
|
Cork South
|
€144.77
|
1
|
Cork West
|
€4,508.57
|
7
|
Donegal
|
€6,392.97
|
11
|
Dublin City
|
€3,685.77
|
7
|
Galway
|
€6,787.28
|
9
|
Kerry
|
€9,938.18
|
11
|
Kildare
|
€6,114.73
|
6
|
Kilkenny
|
€2,025.70
|
2
|
Laois
|
€10,359.16
|
7
|
Leitrim
|
€0
|
0
|
Limerick City
|
€4,931.58
|
7
|
Limerick County
|
€946.24
|
2
|
Longford
|
€2,512.10
|
2
|
Louth
|
€1,540.70
|
4
|
Mayo
|
€1,335.72
|
9
|
Meath
|
€14,692.39
|
18
|
Monaghan
|
€4,312.03
|
9
|
Offaly
|
€11,918.09
|
7
|
Roscommon
|
€18,084.35
|
12
|
Sligo
|
€3,026.20
|
9
|
Tipperary North
|
€3,227.11
|
6
|
Tipperary South
|
€19,657.33
|
15
|
Waterford County
|
€6,955.41
|
4
|
Waterford City
|
€4,851.13
|
3
|
Westmeath
|
€7,365.15
|
4
|
Wexford
|
€12,588.18
|
11
|
Wicklow
|
€0
|
0
|
TOTAL
|
€189,078.83
|
218
|