Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kyne for raising this matter with me, as he has done several times. The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of premises and the making of other such provisions as it considers necessary or desirable, is, in the first instance, a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003. Furthermore, under section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1981, each fire authority that maintains a fire brigade is required to prepare plans for fire and emergency operations and revise them as occasion requires. These plans include provision in respect of fire stations. The making and revision of these plans is a reserve function of the local authority, in this case, Galway County Council, and I, therefore, have no function in that part of the decision. My Department supports fire authorities through the setting of general policy and guidance and the provision of capital funding, including the recoupment of costs incurred by fire authorities relating to the approved purchase of fire appliances and specialist emergency and communications equipment as well as the construction and upgrading of fire stations.

In 2010, the Galway city and western environs fire review group was established to consider fire cover in Galway city and the western environs, which includes south Connemara as well as the west Connemara area. The group comprised representatives of Galway City Council, Galway County Council, the Chief Fire Officer for Galway City and County, representatives from the national directorate for fire and emergency management and an external advisor from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue in Scotland. As part of the review, the group specifically examined the adequacy of fire cover in the south Connemara and Oughterard area.

The group used a risk-based approach which had regard to the risk categorisation process as set out in the Keeping Communities Safe document. The document was adopted as national policy in February 2013 and is based on a risk management approach which addresses the critical elements of fire prevention, protection and response. It sets out an integrated approach to fire safety and fire services in Ireland generally in keeping with international best practice. All fire authorities are currently undertaking risk categorisation for their areas.

The group finalised its review in June 2013. It considered three years of fire incident data, including the number of emergency calls, the emergency type and the locations. It also considered potential changes in demographics and the various potential fire station permutations throughout the western environs area. The group found that there is not a conclusive case for an additional fire station in south Connemara or Oughterard. The group recommended a series of community fire safety measures to further enhance the safety from fire of residents of the area. These include fire safety awareness on all fire safety issues, such as home fire safety, controlled burning, wildland and gorse fires, community safety advocates and a smoke alarm campaign. I understand that a report on the matter has been made to Galway County Council outlining the findings of the group and several required future steps.

The matter of adequacy of fire service provision for the south Connemara area is a statutory function of the fire authority and plans for fire and emergency operations in the area are a reserve function of Galway County Council. I am somewhat surprised that Galway Council has not prioritised this matter over the years in its fire services planning. Many public representatives in the Connemara area could have made money available for this facility over the years but chose not to do so.

Perhaps Galway County Council could engage with my Department and be mindful of this facility in the context of the 2014 Estimates. Ultimately, any request to my Department from the council for financial assistance for fire services provision will have to be assessed in the context of the overall budgetary situation of the council. We do not have much money for fire services for any part of the country at the moment and in particular we do not have much by way of capital moneys. Any assistance provided would have to be part-funding. We will have to see the commitment of the county council in the first instance to demonstrate project development and the commitment from local funding provisions in the 2014 Estimates.

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