Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minster of State. I call on the Minister to urgently commission a national review of the fire brigade service areas boundaries to ensure the response times and provision of services align with the most recent census figures and, more importantly, with the real need of our people on the ground. I ask for an independent national review of this as well. This is not just a call for policy. It is a call for protection and preparedness on behalf of the lives that depend on a timely emergency response.

Recent events in Roscommon and Longford have laid bare the pressure our fire services are under, particularly in rural areas and areas with growing populations of older people. On 9 April of this year, it was reported in our local paper that 55 firefighters from five separate fire stations - Ballaghaderreen, Ballyhaunis, Boyle, Charlestown and Elphin - were needed to tackle a gorse fire in Loughglinn stretching over 800 acres. Three weeks later, three fire brigades were called to a similar incident between Trien and Willliamstown. Following the five fire brigades' dealing with the initial fire, they had to attend again the following day to ensure there were no residual fires or risks to local plantations, but the threat was still live.

These are not isolated incidents; they are warnings. My colleague sitting behind me, Senator Brady, just dealt with a very big bog fire in County Longford over the weekend, which also required the services of approximately four fire brigades and lasted for more than two days. There are serious questions of what happens when multiple fire brigades are pulled to fires like this and who covers the towns and communities left behind? Are we satisfied we have accounted for the growing vulnerability of our population, especially in towns with higher populations of older residents who may need help more quickly or who may not be able to evacuate as quickly? Are we satisfied our fire services are distributed fairly and efficiently?

Let me be clear about this, our fire services are doing extraordinary work. We are very proud of our fire services in the west and in my county of Roscommon. I am very proud of the work they do and the hours they put into it but they do so under significant strain, especially at times like this. For example, Castlerea in County Roscommon, my hometown, has a population of 3,000 to 3,500 people and the fire station has been closed since 2017. Last Wednesday evening, after I tabled this Commencement matter, there was a house fire in a built up residential area in Tarmon Manor at 7.30 p.m. A retired fire officer from Sligo spoke on the radio the following morning and said that if the station had existed in Castlerea, the response time would have been seven to nine minutes. Without the station, the nearest fire units are located approximately 16 miles away, meaning a response time of 20 to 30 minutes. In an emergency, that is not just the difference between a scorched field or a lost home; it is the difference between life and death.

We need a strategic review that considers the updated population data; the latest census information, including age demographics, which I believe will show that certain areas have a higher percentage of older people; a response time analysis across all regions; and the impact of increased climate related events such as the more frequent and intense gorse and bog fires we see at the moment. We must future-proof our fire service provision and ensure no community is left exposed. I urge the Minister to act now, not after the next emergency and definitely not after the next loss of life. Conduct a review that will give our fire services the support and resources they need, or add to those supports, but conduct a review that will, above all, give our communities the safety they deserve and, for communities like my hometown, the cover they deserve.