John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 1404: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when construction will begin on the new fire station in Tallow, County Waterford. [25525/05]

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 1405: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when construction will begin on the new fire station in Kilmacthomas, County Waterford. [25526/05]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1404 and 1405 together.

New fire stations at Tallow and Kilmacthomas were included by Waterford County Council on its prioritised list of projects in the context of a review of fire station proposals under the fire services capital programme. A formal proposal for the new station at Tallow has been submitted to my Department and it will be considered for advancement under future programmes having regard to the council's priorities and competing national demands for capital investment in fire services. No formal plans for a new station at Kilmacthomas have been submitted to date. Having regard to the overall availability of resources under the programme it was not possible to approve additional fire station projects in Waterford in the 2005 programme. However, my Department has provided €2.3 million to Waterford County Council for fire services investments since 1997, including funding for a new fire station under way at Ardmore.