Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I will clarify that 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 and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. In accordance with this requirement, Roscommon County Council provides a fire service comprising five fire stations at Roscommon town, Elphin, Boyle, Ballaghdereen and Strokestown. Significant areas of the county are also served from fire stations in adjacent counties, including those at Athlone, Ballinasloe, Ballyhaunis, Carrick-on-Shannon and Lanesborough.

My Department supports fire authorities through general policy setting and preparing legislation, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.

It should be noted that my Department was informed by Roscommon County Council in February 2017 that a situation had arisen in Castlerea fire station that resulted in the fire brigade being stood down on a temporary basis. This situation arose because of staffing issues and it was judged by Roscommon County Council that it was unsafe to mobilise this fire station to emergency incidents. As the Deputies will be aware, under the Local Government Act 2001, arrangements with regard to staffing in each local authority are the responsibility of the relevant chief executive of that authority. In this regard, as employers, Roscommon County Council pursued grievance, disciplinary and mediation processes to try to resolve the issues within Castlerea fire station over the past number of years. As these efforts have been unsuccessful, a decision has now been made not to reopen Castlerea fire station. I understand that engagement with the remaining six retained fire fighters stationed in Castlerea on this decision is due to commence.

In coming to a decision, I am sure that the chief executive of Roscommon County Council will have taken into account the fire risk in Castlerea, its environs and the wider county as well as national policy, which promotes fire prevention and fire safety as well as fire service response. I understand that concerns have been raised about fire service provision with regard to Castlerea Prison. In the first instance, the prison authorities are responsible for the management of fire safety at the prison site. However, the Roscommon fire service regularly engages with the Prison Service and is satisfied that the level of on-site management, supervision, modern buildings and fire safety protection systems along with other controls are appropriate to mitigate risks of fire on the site.

I confirm that the Roscommon fire service and its chief fire officer are in regular contact with the Irish Prison Service and the acting governor and that there are regular fire service site visits and up-to-date pre-fire plans for the facility. The fire service is also active regarding ongoing fire safety management related to the construction of new buildings at the Castlerea site.

Finally, while I can understand that there are concerns relating to the non-reopening of Castlerea fire station, I am reassured that fire cover in the area has been and continues to be managed and delivered in an efficient and safe manner from adjacent fire brigades by the Roscommon fire service.

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