291 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Defence the plans, if any, he has for the future development of the Civil Defence; and the improvements, if any, he intends to put in place. [4195/97]

The future plans for civil defence are clearly set out in the Towards 2000 programme which was launched by my Department in 1992. The development activities included in the programme are designed to focus the organisation to better serve the needs of the local community. These activities provide for stewarding, enhanced search and rescue capability, river, lake and coastal area search and recovery, response to radiological emergencies and environmental problems, assisting in hazardous weather conditions, forest fire fighting, and evacuee reception. The development of these programmes is ongoing in co-operation with each local authority.