Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 69: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will conduct an investigation into the provision of fire services in Counties Laois and Offaly to ascertain if the services currently provided are adequate. [11501/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981.

Section 26 of the 1981 Act requires each fire authority to prepare, and as occasion requires revise, plans for fire and emergency operations which, inter alia, set out the arrangements for the provision of fire services in the authority's functional area. The making and revision of a plan is a reserved function of the local authority. Laois and Offaly County Councils have adopted plans in place.

My Department supports the local fire authorities through setting of general policy, training support and issue of guidance on operational and other related matters, and the provision of capital funding.

In recent years, international trends in managing emergency service provision have moved towards the use of Integrated Risk Management or a Risk-Based Approach (RBA). My Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management is currently funding the development and use of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software utility that will assist in moving towards such a risk based approach to fire cover.

The new approach favours the adoption of a formal risk appraisal process to enable fire authorities to determine priorities and manage available resources. Historical fire incident data, and demographic and other relevant data linked with information based on historical fire service responses and census data give an accurate 'picture in time' of current activities and fire risk patterns and trends. This map-based information in turn is intended to be used as a management tool for analysis and strategic decision-making with a view to identifying the most vulnerable sectors of communities, and mitigating fire risk through community fire safety initiatives such as putting smoke alarms in the homes of the elderly, as well as planning fire service response.

The intention is that individual fire authority Section 26 plans, including those for Laois and Offaly, will be revised using the information produced under the risk based approach analysis, and that the information will assist and guide fire service management decisions on the deployment of available resources in the years ahead. The recommended risk based approach was developed following a procurement process, and piloted in a number of counties, and is now being applied on a progressive basis across all counties over the course of 2011.

I have no plans to conduct an investigation into the provision of fire services in Counties Laois and Offaly.

Question No. 70 answered with Question No. 66.