Any secret installations in Ireland?

30 November 1966
Mr. Coogan: ( Galway West backbencher) asked the Minister for Defence why he has not yet given a decision regarding the provision of a county control centre in the proposed new vocational school at Moneenageisha, Galway, as the delay in giving a decision is holding up preparation of final documents for the erection of this new school for which the Department of Education gave sanction on 6th September 1966.
Minister for Defence (Mr. Hilliard):As approved expenditure which may be incurred by Galway County Council on the provision of a civil defence county control centre would attract a grant of 70 per cent from the Vote for Defence, I had to be satisfied that the inclusion of the centre in the proposed new vocational school at Moneenageisha would be the most economical arrangement that could be made.
.

From the Army I turn now to Civil Defence. One of the features of recent times has been that public interest in Civil Defence has manifested itself to an extent previously unequalled. For the greater part, this increased interest stemmed from events in the international sphere—namely, the recurrence of tension over Berlin since August last and the publicity given to the hazards of radioactivity resulting from the resumption of nuclear tests by the U.S.S.R. in September.
Whether as a result of this increased interest or of intensified activity on the part of local authorities or a combination of both, there has been an overall net increase (allowing for wastage) in the strength of the Civil Defence organisation of some 1,500, making the current strength approximately 7,600. These figures show that the previous rate of growth of the organisation has been maintained. Quite a number of the new recruits are in centres in which Civil Defence was organised last winter for the first time, and it is to be hoped that in such places those recruits will encourage many more to enrol. As matters stand, however, we have got to face the fact that the numbers in Civil Defence, even though they continue to grow, are still pitifully small in relation to the size of the problem that might have to be faced, and so, as I did when speaking about the Army, I urge all who can do so to lend their aid and encouragement to Civil Defence recruitment.
[1096] At the same time, I am confident that the measures now being taken to develop a control structure within each county and to organise the Warden Service in every parish and ultimately in every townland and street, will have its impact on recruitment even in outlying districts. The initiation by local authorities of arrangements for the control and organisation of the Civil Defence services at county level was, in my view, the most significant development which occurred during the year in relation to the organisation of Civil Defence.