Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that parts of County Offaly are now without any fire service; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that substantial tracts of land have been damaged in bogfires since the closure of fire stations in Daingean, Kilcormac, and Bannagher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11692/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003.

Offaly County Council has adopted fire cover standards as part of its statutorily required fire and emergency operations plan, and requests for assistance are responded to promptly and in accordance with those standards from fire stations in the larger towns of the county. No part of County Offaly is without fire service cover.

I understand that factors which influenced the decision to stand down Daingean, Banagher and Kilcormac fire stations recently include issues relating to the provision of training for staff in less busy fire stations, and the substantial fixed overhead costs associated with running fire stations. I emphasise that it is through community fire safety - by ensuring that there are working smoke alarms in all dwellings - that we can prevent needless loss of life through fire.

On the recent wild land fires in County Offaly, I understand that bog fires broke out in a number of locations, and strong winds led to a rapid spread of the fires. Up to 450 Bord na Móna staff using bulldozers assisted the County Offaly fire service in controlling the fires. The County Offaly fire service also deployed up to six units to deal with a bog fire in Ferbane. The non-availability of the stations in Daingean, Kilcormac and Banagher did not impinge on the speed or effectiveness of the fire service response.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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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.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the provision of fire services is a matter for the local authority. That there are eight fire stations in Laois and only five in Offaly does not mean they cannot co-operate with each other to deal effectively with fires. Nor does it mean that counties cannot have a plan to ensure that every possible area is covered in the event of an emergency.

The Department's role is through the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, which establishes policy through the local government system in order to implement changes. There is good reason the changes were made by people in the Department in the past and through the local authority system. There is a requirement for consolidation and efficiency in the current financial climate. However, that can be done at the same time as ensuring that people are safe in the knowledge that there is an adequate and appropriate response in the event of an emergency.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Whether co-operation can work depends on the geographical situation of the fire, for example if the fire is in the border area of two counties. However, services in the middle of County Laois cannot respond to or help out with a fire in west Offaly, and that is the problem.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I agree. However, Deputy Stanley, more than anybody, should understand that boundaries should not interfere with an effect response from fire and emergency services.