The decentralisation of the Civil Defence branch of the Department of Defence to Roscrea, Co Tipperary, is expected to take place later this year, the Minister for Defence told the Dáil yesterday.
Mr Smith also confirmed that he had asked the chairman of the Civil Defence Board to resign. "I do not have a close association with the chairman. I do my job without fear or favour.
"I have grave reasons for taking this action and all that information will ultimately be available to the House." The Minister said that last May he had written to the board chairman regarding his position.
"A response has been received within the past few days. I will consider the response at the earliest opportunity, but pending such consideration it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the issues involved at this stage."
The Fine Gael spokesman on defence, Mr Dinny McGinley, said that the Minister had received a response from the board chairman and his legal representatives.
"When does the Minister expect to bring this matter to a conclusion, as he intended doing a month ago, when he expected it would be settled by now? Has he run into further difficulties not envisaged a month ago?"
Mr Smith insisted that he had not run into difficulties, adding that the chairman had told him he would be unable to answer his questions as he was taking two weeks holidays.
"I gave him a further week to enable him to reply to the questions. It seemed fair that I should take account of his holidays and give him some extra time. That time expired a few days ago and the reply has just reached my Department."
Asked by Mr McGinley if he wanted the chairman's resignation, the Minister said: "I indicated to the chairman why I felt it necessary to ask him to terminate his office. He has an opportunity to answer the various queries which have been raised and that process is under way."
Mr McGinley said that to seek the resignation of the chairman of any board, particularly one appointed by the Minister, was a very serious matter. "I can recall it happening only once in my 20 odd years in the Dáil."
