Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Adjournment Debate.

Fire Services.

9:00 pm

Photo of Liz McManusLiz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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I acknowledge the truly horrific tragedy suffered by the McElhill family in Omagh yesterday. I regret the fact that I am again compelled to raise in the House the issue of a full-time fire service in Bray. On 26 September in Bray, two brave firefighters lost their lives. Last Friday, another fire occurred on the same site. It is reported that the fire brigade arrived 28 minutes later and that it was the Greystones brigade, rather than the Bray brigade, that dealt with the fire. I understand that due to their depleted numbers only four members of the Bray brigade turned out, and they were unable to proceed to the site of the fire, resulting in the delay and the use of an outside brigade. Subsequently, when a fire occurred in a nursing home in Bray early this week, Bray Fire Brigade did turn out, and the event ended with three fire fighters and a number of gardaí suffering smoke inhalation which was sufficiently severe that they had to attend hospital.

Both of these events are a cause of serious anxiety. The case has been made for a full-time fire service and the evidence is now mounting that the current retained service is experiencing major difficulties in meeting current need. Bray is an area which normally requires a two-pump turnout, yet that appears to be not feasible at present. Ongoing concerns have also been expressed about a practice of vetting calls before calling out the fire brigade. These have never been fully allayed. The Health and Safety Authority is carrying out a report on the fire of 26 September and it is essential for the authority to review events since that date — and before that date — with reference to the fire service in Bray.

It is simply unacceptable that an essential fire-fighting service should be operated on a skeleton basis. Nor is it acceptable that fire fighters, for any reason, would not be fully protected from smoke inhalation through the use of breathing apparatus. When the tragedy in Bray was debated in this House, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government undertook to meet the families of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy. Since that meeting, the questions raised by the families are still awaiting answers. I would be grateful if the Minister would give the House an update on the information given to the families. So far there has been no clear indication of any change of policy with regard to the need for a full-time fire service.

I presume the publication of the three reports when completed will generate considerable discussion and assessment, both at local level and in this House. However, the essential point must be made now that it is simply impossible for a local authority to take on from its own resources an additional funding requirement to make the change to a full-time service. The Minister will have to address this issue sooner or later. In the meantime, public concern about the deficiencies in the current fire service in Bray is rising. I acknowledge yet again the contribution made by the members of the retained fire service in Bray and I ask that the Minister does not ignore the problems that now exist in meeting the safety needs of the community in the town of Bray.

Photo of Tony KilleenTony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy McManus for raising this matter. I pay tribute again to Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy and acknowledge the ongoing pain and loss being experienced by their families and colleagues. For most people time has passed quickly since September 26 but for the families it has been a very long and painful time. This was evident when the Minister, Deputy Gormley, and I met representatives of both families.

With regard to the incidents concerning the Bray fire service referred to by Deputy McManus, I understand that several people, including three fire fighters, were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after the recent fire. Members of the fire services, both full-time and retained, do a very difficult job and I commend them and express on behalf of the Government our gratitude for their selfless public service. I also acknowledge that 2007 was a particularly difficult year for them. I spoke to some of the Bray crew in the aftermath of the tragedy, and the Minister and I have arranged to meet them again tomorrow night, together with the county manager and the chief fire officer. I thank the Bray crew for their dedication before and since the tragedy. One can only imagine their terrible sense of loss as they go about their business.

The Deputy will recall that the Minister and I indicated during the Private Members' debate on this issue that the provision of a fire service is the statutory responsibility of the local fire authority. In this case the local authority is Wicklow County Council. The fire authority is required under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981 to make provision for the delivery of fire services in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade and adequate provision for reception of and response to calls for the assistance of the fire brigade.

The provision of a full-time service for Bray has been a matter of public debate for some years. I am aware that the chief fire officer prepared a report for the local authority on options with regard to fire service provision in Bray. This report was put out for public consultation and, following further consideration by the council, I understand that its representative has written to the Minister seeking a meeting. In the meantime, however, I will take this opportunity to clarify a number of points on fire service provision.

At present, full-time fire brigades operate in larger urban areas, that is the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The number of turnouts where a full-time service exists is more than 1,000 a year. The Farrell Grant Sparks report, Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland, recommended the development of a risk-based approach to fire cover standards. The report envisaged that this new approach would help identify risk patterns and vulnerable sectors of the community and help local authority management in the determination of cover and allocation of resources. Under the fire services change programme the development of a risk-based approach to emergency cover was one of the areas included for advancement. During the process this was changed to a risk-based approach to fire safety management to reflect the need for integration of safety initiatives with emergency response. The procurement process is under way and when the process is completed and a contractor in place, fire authorities will have assistance in carrying out risk analysis in their functional areas in accordance with the system and determining the allocation of resources.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 15 November 2007.