Cork Civil Defence volunteer numbers drop from 354 to 301 in four years

They were praised for selfless acts during Storm Ophelia and during Storm Emma, but fears have been raised about the declining number of Civil Defence volunteers in Cork city and county.

• In 2013, there were 354 Civil Defence volunteers, working in four divisions in the city and county. At the end of last year there were 301;
• Five years ago, there were 107 Civil Defence members in West Cork, but that has fallen to 86;
• In south Cork, the figure dropped from 56 to 44; in North Cork, from 89 to 76; and in Cork City, from 102 to 95.

The Department of Defence provides about 70% of annual funding for Civil Defence units.