John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 509: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when construction of the new fire station in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny will be completed; the current status of this project; when he will approve the funding of next phase of the provision of a new fire station at Urlingford, County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31064/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, 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 and the provision of premises, 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 setting of general policy and the provision of funding under the fire service capital programme.

Following a request by my Department, in autumn 2008, Kilkenny County Council indicated that its priorities under the fire services capital programme were the construction of new fire stations at Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh and Urlingford respectively.

In June 2010 a new two-bay fire station, funded by my Department, was opened in Castlecomer.

The proposal by the Council to build a new two bay fire station in Graiguenamanagh was approved in principle under the 2008 Fire Service Capital Programme. In November 2009, my Department approved the Council's proposal to appoint consultants to prepare detailed design and tender documents, and these are now awaited.

Proposals to replace the existing single bay station in Urlingford will be considered under future capital programmes within the constraints of available resources having regard to the fire authority's priorities, the spread of existing facilities and demand from other fire authorities for available funding.