Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

——pursue prudent and sustainable policies that will help us through this extremely challenging period. I particularly welcome the fact that the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is continuing to prioritise areas in which I have responsibility, including fire services, the rural water programme and library services. The funding provisions reflect continued Government support for these very important areas.

There is an increased allocation for the Department's water services investment programme. In respect of the rural water programme, there will be an ongoing campaign to provide all group schemes with quality water supplies. We will continue to push this forward in 2009 and the years thereafter. Funding for water services will consolidate the substantial advances being made with the provision of new treatment facilities for sub-standard group water schemes and will ensure further improvement in compliance with drinking water standards in 2009. I welcome this in particular because the water supply in County Galway has been the focus of much criticism recently.

The objective of the current rural water programme is to provide all group water schemes falling within the remit of the drinking water directive with a quality treated water supply. The rural water programme is being implemented under a partnership framework involving the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, rural organisations, including the IFA, ICMSA and ICA, and local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I commend all the organisations, which have worked so closely to meet the targets under the programme.

Capital funding of €135 million has been provided for the water programme in 2008 and there are now over 5,500 group water schemes throughout the country. Some 728 of the schemes use private water sources and, where they do not have proper water treatment and disinfection equipment, an upgrade is possible under the rural water programme. Of the 728 group water schemes, 545 have been completed to date and 87 are under way. Other schemes are in the planning stage and will begin in 2009, which I very much welcome.

The rural water programme comprises a number of measures. Group water schemes constitute the first and involve the provision of a supply for new groups, the treatment of water in existing schemes, the provision of connections to the local authority mains and, importantly, the taking in charge of schemes by local authorities. The programme also includes group sewerage schemes and small public water and sewerage schemes, with a particular focus on their upgrade. Where there is neither a public nor a group scheme, grants are available to individual houses from local authorities to assist with the provision or upgrade of their water supply. I very much welcome the increases provided under all the headings pertaining to the rural water programme.

I launched the national fire safety week on Monday, 6 October in the Dublin Fire Brigade training centre in Marino. The launch was a joint venture with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. The theme of the week was "Fire safety is your safety". Some key messages were emphasised at the launch, particularly that there are still homes without working smoke alarms and that a routine fire safety check only takes a few minutes but could mean the difference between life and death. The event was well advertised in the media, particularly on RTE's "The Afternoon Show" and "About the House", and fire safety leaflets, booklets and posters were supplied to fire authorities throughout the country.

Unfortunately, on average 46 people die in Ireland each year from fire, with house fires accounting for the majority — more than 90% of fire fatalities. In most of these incidents, a level of fire safety education and awareness could have prevented the loss of life in a fire or limited the damage.

At the end of September I launched a fire safety DVD for primary schools entitled "Tinteán Slán" or "Safe Fireplace" at Galway Educate Together primary school. The DVD contains five stories with specific messages on different aspects of fire safety and a demonstration on how a school fire drill should be carried out. I am glad to note the DVD will be distributed directly to every primary school in the country in the coming weeks. Through this programme children will learn to protect themselves and others from the terrible consequences of fire. The material is suitable for middle and senior classes but can also be used for first and second class.

The Department has given much attention to the fire services programme. We want to maintain a modern and well-equipped fire service, which is essential to safeguarding and protecting the community. The service is operated at local level through 37 fire authorities.

The Government has overseen substantial capital investment of more than €174 million in the fire and rescue services in the past decade, and this investment programme will be maintained in the coming year. The capital provision of €23 million in 2009 will enable new fire stations to be built and facilitate the purchase of fire appliances and specialised ancillary equipment. It is anticipated that up to 26 fire appliances will be delivered to fire authorities during the coming year with a further five stations built or upgraded. The Department's fire service capital programme is designed to put in place the infrastructure, including stations and fire appliances, to support the local fire authorities in the development and maintenance of a quality fire-fighting and rescue service.

This commitment to and increased investment in the fire service has brought major improvements in the fire service infrastructure nationally. The capital programme for fire station building and refurbishment and new appliance acquisition is financed from the Exchequer grant. In the past 25 years, almost €247 million has been provided to local fire authorities under the fire service capital programme for the provision of new and refurbished fire stations and the purchase of fire appliances and other equipment.

In recent years there have been significant improvements in library developments both in terms of facilities and service. Some 72 library buildings, co-funded by the local authorities and my Department, have been built or are at construction or planning stages.

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