Burke officially opens new Civil Defence HQ

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Peter Burke performed the official opening of the state-of-the-art new Civil Defence Headquarters in Lough Sheever Corporate Park on Friday afternoon.

Minister Burke said that it was a privilege and an honour as a Westmeath man to perform the official opening.

He said it had been a long process, but it was only right that the volunteers, Civil Defence Officer Brian Gillen, Deputy Civil Defence Officer Imelda Bardon and the wider civil defence community had a fitting home to carry out their vital work from.

“When I was elected first in 2016, I remember meeting Brian with Cllr Andrew Duncan and Cllr Tom Farrell at their former premises in Cullion, which were in dire conditions and far below what should be an acceptable standard of accommodation for our Civil Defence.  We have seen time and time again, whether it was Storm Ophelia, the Beast from the East, the Covid pandemic and now the Ukrainian refugee crisis, our Civil Defence volunteers carry out vital work when our most vulnerable citizens need their help.

“Last year alone, they carried out 115 separate taskings, having to be agile and carry out their emergency support role as well as setting up emergency rest centres for refugees and provide transport, welfare and bedding on a 24-hour basis and when the need arises.

“Locating them in sub-standard conditions was an insult to their work and the plans to find superior accommodation began. I brought the delegation to meet with former Minister for defence Paul Kehoe as well as Taoiseach Enda Kenny  in Leinster House in 2017 and we sourced a superior building shortly afterwards.

“Brian, Imelda and their team have transformed the building to the state-of-the-art facility we see here today, and we know the Civil Defence use it for many of their national training days and a model to aspire to in other locations.

“The Civil Defence are jointly funded by the Department of Defence and our local authorities and many people and agencies assisted in us getting to this day, including Brian and Imelda, the chief executive of the local authority and the members, officials in Department of Defence and Westmeath County Council.

“But for me, the most important people are the 46 members of Westmeath Civil Defence, and as Minister in Defence, I am supremely proud of the work they do on behalf of our community, and indeed the reputation they have within the Civil Defence for providing such a strong service in times of crisis, no matter what that crisis may be. These volunteers sacrifice their free time and put themselves in very challenging and difficult situations week in and week out. Without this sacrifice, there would be no Civil Defence.

“Brian Gillen in particular has been outstanding in his role, and his advocacy and vision is one of the main reasons we are standing here today. Not only has Brian been Westmeath Civil Defence Officer since 1986, making him the longest-serving CDO in the State, but he is also now approaching a half century of service with Civil Defence having joined as a volunteer in 1975. This is a remarkable achievement and I wish to take this opportunity to highlight Brian’s contribution over the five decades.”

“When I was appointed by the Taoiseach last December, I met with the Tánaiste soon after to discuss the role.  While the Tánaiste carries out the main elements of defence, I requested to be involved in the Civil Defence element of the portfolio and I look forward to further engagement and collaboration with our Civil Defence in the future.”