Civil Defence Act, 2002

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Functions of Board.

8.—(1) The functions of the Board are—

(a) to promote and support the development at national level of civil defence planning and management and, in co-operation with local authorities, to facilitate the implementation of civil defence measures for the purposes of emergency relief and support;

(b) to promote, develop and maintain civil defence as an effective voluntary service in support of the emergency services;

(c) to promote the role of civil defence in providing services, in support of the emergency services, to the local community and, for that purpose, to develop programmes designed to enhance those services;

(d) with regard to local authorities, to promote co-operation and the co-ordination of their activities with other local authorities, so as to ensure efficiency and economy in performing their functions relating to civil defence;

(e) having regard to any plans, howsoever described, relating to the management of emergencies at national level that are prepared and adopted by any Minister of the Government, State agencies or other bodies whose activities relate to civil defence, to establish and promote the development, maintenance and improvement of standards of—

(i) programmes of civil defence education and training including programmes relating to health and safety,

(ii) knowledge, skill and competence of those participating in implementing civil defence measures, and

(iii) equipment used for civil defence;

(f) to promote public awareness and the dissemination of coordinated information to the public in relation to civil defence and to conduct public information programmes relating to preventive measures aimed at alleviating the effects of emergencies on persons or property;

(g) to prepare and adopt, in accordance with section 30 , a strategic plan relating to the future development of civil defence and to monitor the implementation of the plan;

(h) to advise the Minister in relation to all or any of the following:

(i) such policy matters relating to the operation and future development of civil defence as the Minister may request or as the Board considers appropriate;

(ii) the implementation of measures considered necessary for the effective operation of civil defence;

(iii) any other matter relating to the Board's functions as the Board considers appropriate or as requested by the Minister;

(i) to conduct and commission research on matters relating to the functions of the Board and for this purpose—

(i) to foster and promote contacts and the exchange of information with educational and research establishments and other bodies involved in civil defence in and outside the State, and

(ii) as it considers appropriate, to publish, in the form and manner that the Board thinks fit, results arising out of that research;

(j) in conjunction with Ministers of the Government, State agencies or other bodies whose activities relate to civil defence, having regard to any plans referred to in paragraph (e), to contribute to the development, in co-operation with other states, of civil defence measures;

(k) in co-operation with local authorities, to promote the recruitment of persons to perform civil defence tasks and to establish procedures for the registration of those persons;

(l) to establish, review and maintain codes of professional conduct for civil defence members;

(m) to advise such persons as the Minister may from time to time specify on any matter relating to the Board's functions;

(n) to advise and assist the director general in performing his or her functions;

(o) to comply with any general policy directives that the Minister may, from time to time, give to the Board;

(p) to perform any additional functions conferred on the Board by order under subsection (4).

(2) The Board has all such powers as are necessary for or incidental to the performance of its functions.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (c) of subsection (1), the programmes referred to in that paragraph may include the programmes specified in Schedule 3.

(4) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, and after consultation with such other Ministers of the Government (if any) as he or she considers appropriate, by order—

(a) confer on the Board additional functions connected with the functions for the time being of the Board, as the Minister considers appropriate, subject to the conditions (if any) that may be specified in the order, and

(b) make such provision as he or she considers necessary or expedient in relation to matters ancillary to or arising out of the conferral of those additional functions.