The House of Representatives reconvened on Monday after its summer recess and lawmakers began discussing legal amendments to the Civil Defence Sector and the Explosives Ordinance.
The bill was introduced by Interior Minister Byron Camilleri, who in his speech stressed the importance of the vital work done by members of the civil defence sector.
He said their duties went beyond ordinary jobs as they risked their lives to save others.
The first part of the bill aims to integrate the Assistance and Rescue Force into the Civil Defence sector, making it a disciplined force under the Constitution. This puts the force on the same level as other disciplined forces.
Part II of the Bill amends the Explosives Regulations to provide for more appropriate penalties for the unauthorised discharge of small fireworks which do not cause injury.
The minister said that in addition to improving the working conditions of crews, the government has also increased its investment in rescue services over the past two years. These investments include the purchase of 37 new vehicles, some of which are specially designed for rescue, for use on narrow roads, and for use in industrial areas.
A new rescue launch is about to take place.
In addition, a new €200 million maritime rescue launch system is about to be delivered to the department.
Over the past two years, €350 has been spent on training rescue workers, with an additional €000 to be spent in the coming months.
The minister said the reform process will continue in line with voters' commitments, which will lead to further improvements in working conditions.
Shadow Home Office Minister Joe Giglio pointed to the amendments to the Explosives Regulations, which he said had so far been in place despite the law not making a distinction between serious cases and minor cases where fireworks were illegally set off but no damage or injury was caused.
However, the serious consequences of the latter, including fines and prison sentences ranging from 15 to 000 euros, are clearly disproportionate.
According to the law, fines for some minor cases will range from 120 to 350 euros.
Giglio said that under current legal provisions, the court did not explicitly stipulate that probation could be applied during the trial, so the committee should fully consider this factor during the debate.
He expressed full support for the amendments to the civil defence sector, acknowledging that the sector had been seen as "outdated" in the past, but stressed that the civil defence sector would not fall into the same predicament as the police and the army.
KMT MPs said the director-general of the Civil Defense Department will become the director-general responsible for other directors.Does this mean a department reorganization is imminent?What are the terms of reference of the new director?
