Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 1408: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the risk based approach to fire safety management report has been completed; and his views on providing additional resources to councils to provide full-time fire services in towns with a population in excess of 10,000. [2532/08]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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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, the provision of a premises and the making of such other provisions as it considers necessary or desirable, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981.

The Department's role is one of supporting and assisting local authorities in delivering fire services through the setting of general policy and the provision of capital funding. Under the Fire Services Change Programme a risk based approach to fire safety management is being developed. Dublin City Council, who is the contracting authority for the appointment of a supplier for the development of a risk based utility software package and expects to complete the tendering process and appoint a preferred supplier shortly. When this system is available it will assist fire authorities in carrying out a risk based approach to safety management in their functional areas which will inform the allocation of resources.

It may well be the case that account would be taken of factors others than population in considering the appropriate level of fire cover.