John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"—extends again its deepest sympathies to the families of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy whose deaths occurred in such tragic circumstances;

extends its deepest sympathies to Brian and Mark's colleagues in the Wicklow fire service and to all members of the retained fire service countrywide;

acknowledges the courageous service which Brian and Mark gave to the public through their commitment to the Wicklow fire service;

acknowledges the service and dedication of all members of the fire service, both full-time and retained, given to the public across the country;

acknowledges the fact that three investigations are under way by An Garda Síochána, the Health and Safety Authority and Wicklow County Council;

notes the Government's commitment to implementing any necessary change arising from the outcome of the above investigations in the work of supporting and developing fire services;

notes the significant progress made in implementing the key recommendations in the Farrell Grant Sparks report of the Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland in relation to fire safety and fire services and, in particular, the programmes advanced to enhance the safety of members of the fire service and the public;

notes that as part of the Government's continuing commitment to investment in, and modernisation of the fire service, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is reviewing the options for continuing the fire service change programme to ensure that Ireland has a world class fire service to meet the needs of the 21st century; and

notes that the options for fire service provision in Bray and its environs are under consideration, including public consultation, by Wicklow County Council and that arrangements for the provision of fire services in all areas of the country are a matter for

the relevant fire authorities, which expend an estimated €240 million per annum in the provision of the service."

I again express my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy who tragically lost their lives in the fire in Bray last Wednesday week. My sympathies are also with their fire service colleagues in Bray and throughout the country. I pay tribute to their service to the community and to their professionalism. All who knew Mark and Brian have testified to their commitment to family and community. In debating this issue, we should be sensitive to the grief and pain their families, friends and colleagues are going through during these sad days.

I spoke to some of the crew in the aftermath of the tragedy and have arranged to meet with them again soon. I am also happy to meet the families of Mark and Brian if they wish to do so. I also take this opportunity to remember and pay tribute to fire-fighter Michael Listen and Garda Brian Kelleher, who tragically lost their lives in Foynes earlier this year, and to remember their families and colleagues tonight.

The retained fire service are dedicated people who make themselves available to respond to emergencies in their communities. They are well trained, well equipped and very professional. Members of the fire services, both full-time and retained, do a very difficult job and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. The fire services exist to serve the public and they serve it well.

For our part, we as ordinary citizens are extremely fortunate we have in this country a fire service we can rely on and which never lets us down. The fire service has never shirked its responsibilities and has readily accepted the challenges which constant change presents. These personnel serve their communities faithfully and effectively. They show courage and bravery in facing and dealing with emergency situations. I wish to record my thanks and that of the Government for this selfless public service and acknowledge their pain during this period of loss.

The role of the fire-fighter is much different from what it was 30 years ago. The job now includes dealing with road collisions and numerous types of rescue situations, including water and hazardous material incidents. Fire-fighters are often first on the scene but whatever the incident, their priority remains the same — dealing with human casualties and the protection of human life.

Six years ago, it was recognised by my Department that a major review of our fire services was needed. This review was seen as being necessary to take into account the changing role of our fire-fighters, the increased knowledge and expertise internationally regarding rescue services and the economic and social development that had taken place in Ireland.

The review was carried out by Farrell Grant Sparks, which reported in January 2002. The report, entitled Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland, was the starting point for what has become known as the fire services change programme. Among the principal recommendations for change were more focus on fire safety, including the introduction of community fire safety initiatives; the enhancement of fire safety legislation; and better enforcement of both building control regulations and fire safety, including "during performance" inspections.

There was to be the adoption of a new risk-based approach to determining emergency cover; new approaches and structures for major emergency management; the introduction of a competency-based approach to recruitment, retention and career progression; and a competency-based training regime.

In addition, there was to be enhancement of the service through a continued high level of capital investment to improve infrastructure; further development of safety, health and welfare arrangements; better co-ordination of resources between neighbouring local authorities; more flexible deployment of staff at all levels; and the establishment of a national fire and civil protection authority.

The previous Government launched a fire services change and modernisation programme in 2005 to advance the key recommendations of the report regarding fire safety and fire services. The aim of the programme has been to introduce measures aimed at bringing about significant improvement in the safety of people, including fire-fighters and property. It involved developing a programme of key projects in four priority areas identified in the review. These were community fire safety; competency-based approach to recruitment, retention and career progression; enhanced safety, health and welfare; and the development of a risk-based approach to emergency cover.

A status report on the fire services change programme outlining the progress achieved in these four areas was published in June 2007 and is available on my Department's website. The first phase of the programme, which focused initially on the enhancement of fire-fighter health, safety and welfare, has been completed.

Further important programmes to provide the best support and guidance possible to assist fire-fighters in their work have also been developed and are currently being rolled out. These include an updated ancillary safety statement template for the fire service to comply with the most recent 2005 health and safety legislation; a new national incident command system; revised breathing apparatus guidelines and associated training and materials; and a critical incident stress management system to assist fire-fighters in dealing with the aftermath of traumatic and stressful incidents, such as the recent tragedy. Considerable progress has also been made in a number of other key areas and these will be outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen.

In launching the first phase of the change programme, the previous Government agreed that the priority should be on achieving the widely accepted changes recommended by Farrell Grant Sparks. The programme would provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to show commitment to the necessary change and, depending on the outcomes of the process, the question of how to build the structures necessary to support and embed change on a more permanent basis could be reconsidered.

The establishment of a national fire authority was considered prior to the launch of the change programme and has again been the subject of debate since the Bray tragedy. There are a number of differing views on the merits of a fire authority. As the first part of the change programme has been completed, I am reviewing the progress achieved and I am considering all of the options. The Government must have regard to the needs of the fire service and the greater public interest, and I am determined to consider all aspects in reaching my conclusions.

The provision of a fire service is the statutory responsibility of the local fire authority, in this case Wicklow County Council. The fire authority is required under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981 to make provision for the delivery of fire services in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade and adequate provision for reception of and response to calls for the assistance of the fire brigade.

The provision of a full-time fire service for Bray has been a matter of public debate for some years now. I am aware that Wicklow County Council's chief fire officer has prepared a report for the local authority on options for fire service provision in Bray. This report was put out for public consultation in Wicklow and is being considered by the local authority.

I take this opportunity to clarify a number of points on fire service provision. Currently, full-time fire brigades operate in larger urban areas, specifically the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The number of turnouts where a full-time service exists is in excess of 1,000 a year. The Farrell Grant Sparks report, Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland, recommended the development of a risk-based approach to fire cover standards. The report envisaged that this new approach will help identify risk patterns and vulnerable sectors of the community and help local authority management in the determination of cover and allocation of resources.

Under the change programme, the development of a risk-based approach to emergency cover was one of the areas included for advancement. During the process it was changed to a risk-based approach to fire safety management to reflect the need for integration of safety initiatives with emergency response. The procurement process is under way and when the process is completed and a contractor is in place, fire authorities will have assistance to carry out a risk analysis in their functional areas in accordance with the system and to determine the allocation of resources.

There have been calls over the past few days for an independent investigation into the Bray tragedy. Three investigations are under way, carried out by An Garda Síochána, the Health and Safety Authority and Wicklow County Council. I have asked each of the authorities to make the findings of its investigation available to my Department and will consider any necessary change arising from the outcome of these in the work of supporting and developing fire services in my role as Minister. It would be important to await the outcome of the investigations.

In conclusion, it is very difficult to debate these issues in the direct aftermath of such a tragedy. In this regard, I appreciate the measured comments of Deputy McManus. I emphasise that I will listen carefully to any arguments which emerge from the review and investigation process and I will act on the recommendations that emerge. Uppermost in my mind and in the minds of everyone in this Chamber is the health and safety of the men and women in our fire service.

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