Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State back. We should have taken his two Commencement debates together.

Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this Commencement matter. I know the salient and important case for a new fire station for Crossmolina will be made to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. We are waiting for the green light to allow the new fire station project for Crossmolina to go to tender. It is in the Government's capital programme for 2020 and it is much needed. Mayo County Council is doing its best and secured a site some years ago. It has also secured Part 8 planning permission to build on the site. I understand the county council is engaging with the Department to update the project details, taking into account the requirements of the new building regulations. It is, therefore, doing everything it can.

Delivery and construction of this fire station is the number one priority for Mayo County Council. I have visited the current fire station and it is not fit for purpose. Conditions are deplorable and have to be seen to be believed. The building is wet and cold, its fabric is in poor condition and the facilities are old. The washing facilities were described to me as antediluvian but the fire service is trying to maintain the building as best it can. It needs to know the project will get the green light. I hope we will get some good news about progress today and that we can look forward to tender and construction next year. Efforts were made to rent another premises in the locality but that did not work out.

The nine retained firefighters in Crossmolina fire station do an excellent job dealing with everything from house fires and road traffic accidents to bush and whin fires on bogs. They are busy with those in the summers. Unfortunately, Crossmolina is prone to flooding, which is a regular threat. The town is on the capital programme list for the delivery of flood defences but we are awaiting progress in the planning side of that. There is never a dull moment and the firefighters do a fantastic job. It is high time the firefighters, the staff associated with the fire service and the community of Crossmolina got a proper fire station they can rely on in future. It must be at least ten years since a new fire station was built in Mayo. This project is much needed.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Again, I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State at the Department, Deputy English, who are unavailable this morning. They and I know the Senator has had a long-standing interest in the matter of a new fire station for Crossmolina and I thank her for raising the issue at this time.

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 Act 1981. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

I acknowledge the hard work, service and commitment of all those who work in our fire authorities around the country, particularly those on the front line. The Government remains committed to supporting the fire service and the essential and invaluable service it provides. We will continue to support local authorities and firefighters through a range of important initiatives, including the provision of funding under the fire services capital programme for equipment and buildings. In February 2016, the Government announced its five-year fire services capital programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on an annual €8 million allocation to be used for new fire appliances, specialist equipment, fire stations, communications systems and training centres. The five-year programme included proposals for 26 fire stations, 16 new builds and ten upgrades. Mayo County Council has prioritised a new fire station project in Crossmolina and this is included as part of this programme under the list of priority projects to be progressed in 2020. This important project will replace the existing station in the town and I understand the county council is currently updating the design and cost plan. It anticipates these will be ready by the end of this year. The Department awaits these documents and, once received, it will work closely with the county council to progress the project as quickly as possible.

As the Senator will know, the fire service in Mayo serves one of the largest fire authority areas in the country, employing 120 firefighters across 12 fire stations and responding to 765 call-outs in 2017. Castlebar is the location of the central fire station. Crossmolina provides initial cover for an area of approximately 750 sq. km with a population in excess of 4,000 inhabitants. The station responded to 70 call-outs in 2017. Ballina, Ballyhaunis and Kiltimagh fire stations are also included in a further list of stations to be considered in annual reviews during the five-year capital programme. The Department is also awaiting updated cost plans from the county council for the upgrading work to be undertaken at these fire stations. In order to maximise the available capital programme funding, the Department reassesses the status of projects in the capital programme annually. This means there is some flexibility normally available to advance projects that are ready to go and that offer the best value for money, taking account of the state of readiness of projects more generally. In summary, this important project will be progressed without delay once the necessary plans are received from the county council.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Senator Mulherin may make a brief supplementary contribution. We are up against the clock.

Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. I sincerely hope that once the county council has reverted to the Department with an update on the design and cost plan, to which the Minister of State referred, the project will be given priority. The Minister of State indicated that the Department reassesses the status of projects annually. I can say sincerely and without fear of contradiction that it is one of the worst fire stations in the country. Interestingly, one of the firefighters told me that a contractor who visits fire stations around the country to provide services confirmed that this was the case to staff in Crossmolina fire station. The conditions are appalling but I note that there is some positive news in the offing.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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As the Senator said, this is a project that needs to be done as urgently as possible. As I said, the Department is awaiting the design and cost plan from the county council, which should be ready and is expected to be with the Department by the end of this year. The Department tells us it will then work closely with the county council to progress the project as quickly as is possible. I know the Senator will keep a close eye on this important matter and I thank her for her deep interest in it.