John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he first received a proposal from Waterford County Council to construct a new fire station in Tallow, County Waterford; the criteria for including such proposals in the annual capital programme; if he will itemise the rating for the Tallow proposal compared to each similar proposal that was included in his Department's capital programme using the selection criteria for each year since the proposal was received; the proposals for new fire stations that were received either in the same year or earlier than the Tallow proposal and which have not yet been included in the capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28492/05]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Waterford County Council first submitted a proposal for a new fire station at Tallow in 1991. However, that proposal was not approved under the limited funding programme then in place. In September 2001, approval in principle was granted for a new fire station at Tallow and a detailed cost plan and drawings were submitted in November 2001.

In 2002, the Department announced that new fire stations at Ardmore and Tallow as well as improvement works to Cappoquin would be included in the fire services capital programme. Ardmore fire station was completed this year at a cost of more than €800,000 and the improvement works to Cappoquin have also been completed at a cost of approximately €100,000. Although it was not possible to include the Tallow project in this year's programme, it will be considered for advancement to construction along with Waterford County Council's other proposals under future programmes.

There is no formal rating scheme for fire station proposals. Proposals submitted by fire authorities are considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to the existing facilities, proximity of other fire stations, the fire authority's priorities and the competing demands of other fire authorities for the available funding. A balance also has to be struck between funding for fire station projects and for new fire appliances and other equipment.

Overall, County Waterford has benefited greatly from funding under the fire services capital programme in recent years. As well as the Ardmore and Cappoquin projects, a new headquarters fire station at Dungarvan was completed in 1994 at a cost of more than €1.2 million and an extension to Tramore fire station in 2001 at a cost of more than €400,000. County Waterford has also received funding for seven new fire appliances since 1998 at a total cost of more than €1.5 million. There are other fire station proposals on hand since 2001 which, for a variety of reasons, have not yet been approved for funding.