Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

Two weeks ago when I was in my office, I heard gasps of shock from next door when my colleague, Senator Déirdre de Búrca, heard the dark news from Little Bray. The grief we felt can never match the loss of loved ones for a family. As a child growing up off Ballyman Lane, Shankill, I could hear the sirens from Bray when the fire services were called out. We always paused to pray and think of those who voluntarily gave their time to help others. It is still the case in Bray that people voluntarily put their lives at risk for others and sometimes lives are lost.

I agree with most of this Private Members' motion. We must examine a national authority to co-ordinate fire and civil protection. When I consider in my lifetime the expansion of Bray and Shankill, growing from several hundred people to 20,000, the location of a full-time service in the area must be examined. The several inquiries under way must run their course. After this we can examine what has been left out.

The fire station in Kill Avenue is five miles away from Bray. It is not far and we must examine how best existing resources are being used. I do not believe county boundaries can be an absolute line in ensuring the right services are in the right place at the right time.

From my previous occupation as an architect, I know much more can be done in fire safety for buildings. The issuing of fire alarms has improved in recent years but I am not convinced enough has been done in ensuring compliance with building regulations. We must revisit the issue of compliance, a matter which I raised in the Twenty-ninth Dáil. New and older buildings must be inspected to ensure they reach a high level of fire protection.

A feasibility study has been undertaken for County Wicklow but we must examine the expanding areas of Dublin with a view to providing the same if not a higher level of fire services than is being provided.

Nothing can bring the two fire-fighters back. There is an onerous responsibility on the shoulders of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley. We will look carefully at the issues raised in the motion before the House. We all grieve for those who were lost. We have a huge responsibility that it is not an omission on our part to ensure the highest level of protection for those who work full time and voluntarily in our fire service.

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