Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)

During the recent bog fires, roads were closed and a significant amount of environmental damage was done. In the case of one of the fires there was a serious delay in response. The Minister will be aware from the inquiries he has made that County Offaly did have eight fire stations and it now has five. County Laois, which is a smaller county geographically, now has eight fire stations with a smaller budget of just short of €3 million. County Offaly has a budget of more than €3 million. The economic situation impinges on everything and I understand that. However, local frontline emergency services such as this must be retained. A response suggesting local services have not been curtailed or limited ignores the reality. Anyone who knows anything about local fire services is aware - as I am as a local authority member for a number of years - that when fire services are called out to a particular area, local knowledge is essential to a quick response. Firemen from a particular town, village or area will know how many people are likely to be in a house if a fire occurs in a house at night in a rural area. They are aware of how many people reside in a dwelling and whether an elderly person lives there. They may even know in which room an elderly person sleeps. This type of local information, knowledge of an elderly person living in a house and sleeping upstairs, is important if the house catches fire. Some people in the local fire service have this detailed knowledge.

Lives are being put at risk and I urge the Minister to take up the issue. I urge him and his officials to take another look at the situation, with Offaly County Council, to ensure there is a proper fire service throughout Offaly. Banagher is a long way from the centre of the county. I urge the Minister and his officials to examine the issue again and not to walk away lightly from it saying that five local fire stations are adequate for Offaly.

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