Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason the new senior officers brought in under the change programme are being used as breathing apparatus instructors and not being used for the job they were brought in to do, that is, risk assessments and risk analysis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29775/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Framework for Major Emergency Management and the Major Emergency Development Programme 2006-2008 approved by Government placed additional workloads on local authorities including the preparation of risk assessments. The Department obtained sanction for the creation of an additional 46 Assistant Chief Fire Officer/ Executive Engineer grade posts to support the implementation of the Major Emergency Development Programme locally and regionally. I understand that significant progress has been made to date in the risk assessment process both in the local authorities and in the multi-agency co-ordination context. The duties and deployment of staff at local level are matters for the individual local authorities concerned.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the Farrell Grant Sparks Report was first submitted to his Department; the reason it has not been implemented in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29776/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 372 of 17 October 2007.

In February 2005, the Government announced a Fire Services Change Programme, 2005 to 2007, to implement key fire services and fire safety recommendations of the Farrell Grant Sparks Report, Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland. The priority at the time was not to pursue further institutional change but to use the available resources to bring about direct improvements in the key areas identified in the report.

The change programme included four priority areas addressing the development of community fire safety programmes, the development of a risk based approach to safety management, 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 under the Change Programme was carried out by a dedicated Project Team, with a consultative structure in which all of the stakeholders participated. A report on progress achieved over the two year period was published in June 2007 and is available on the Department's website, www.environ.ie. Options for the next phase of the change programme are being reviewed having regard to the Farrell Grant Sparks recommendations and the need to continue to bring about real and substantive change so that the fire service is in line with international standards.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when firefighters will carry defibrillators on all front line appliances; when they will be trained as first responders as laid down in the guide lines in the Report of the Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29777/07]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 555: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the guidelines given to firefighters in regard to the use of defibrillators on members of the general public; if his attention has been drawn to the restrictions applied in some areas of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29779/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 and 555 together.

The Report of the Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death was launched by my colleague the Minister for Health and Children in March 2006. One of the Report's recommendations states that "a tiered response system should prioritise the training and equipping of rapidly deployable uniformed responders such as full-time fire services in urban communities and retained fire services in rural communities". The Department made a submission to the Task Force outlining the potential role of the fire service in the provision of Basic Life (BLS) and Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). The Department asked that the potential of the local authority fire services be given due consideration by the Task Force in its task of maximising access to such life saving equipment. The implementation of the recommendations of the Report is a matter for the Department of Health and Children. The Emergency Care Council (PHECC) under the Department of Health and Children is responsible for developing standards and guidelines for Emergency First Responder training. It is a matter for individual fire authorities to determine the training needs of its fire service personnel.

I am aware that nearly all fire authorities have invested in training their fire fighters to Emergency First Responder level. Some authorities have, in addition, brought some of the first responders to cardiac first responder level, which means they are trained to use AEDs. These authorities carry defibrillators on the fire appliances for the protection of their own staff and for use to assist the public at the scene of an incident at which the fire service is in attendance.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when all firefighters working in busy shipping ports such as Foynes in County Limerick and Killybegs in County Donegal will be trained in ship and port courses and given the water awareness training which is required working alongside such risks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29778/07]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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The training of fire service personnel is the statutory duty of individual fire authorities. The Fire Services Council, established in 1983 under the Fire Services Act 1981, provides a central training programme for fire officers which complements and supplements the local training programmes of the fire authorities. I am assured that the Council's programme has included training courses in ship and port fires in recent years.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason in some counties firefighters have no second personal protection equipment such as flashoods, gloves and firefighting uniform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29782/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of equipment such as personal protection equipment for use by fire services personnel is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities and the Department has no direct role in this matter.