Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of funding allocated to a local authority (details supplied) for the provision of front-line services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12146/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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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 and 2003. Fire authorities fund revenue expenditures on fire services from their own resources.

My Department supports fire authorities through the setting of general policy and the provision of capital funding, including the recoupment (within the overall funding available) of costs incurred by fire authorities in relation to the construction of fire stations and to the approved purchase of fire appliances and equipment.

Almost € 13 million has been invested in building the capacity of fire services in Laois and Offaly in recent years. This has been recouped to the respective fire authorities under the Department's fire services capital programme as indicated on the attached table: