Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he intends to take on the Farrell, Grant, Sparks report on the fire service given to his Department in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5255/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has implemented a number of the important recommendations of the report review of fire safety and fire services in Ireland. These include in particular the enactment of the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003, which addressed a number of legislative changes called for in the review. In addition, the high level of capital investment in the fire service has been continued and now stands at almost €20 million per annum. The interdepartmental committee on major emergency planning, which is chaired by my Department, has just completed a review of the major emergency planning framework on which local authority, Health Service Executive and Garda major emergency plans are based and I will be taking proposals to Government shortly for the implementation of the updated framework.

In February 2005, I announced a fire services change programme to implement the key fire services and fire safety recommendations of the review of fire safety and fire services in Ireland. This programme sets out the strategy for the future development of the fire service and includes measures addressing the development of community fire safety programmes, the development of a risk-based approach to the determination of fire cover standards, the introduction of a competency-based approach to recruitment, retention and career progression in the fire service and the enhancement of health, safety and welfare programmes within the fire service. Work on the fire service change programme is being carried out by a dedicated project team and is progressing satisfactorily.