Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the ratio of assistant fire chiefs to fire service personnel in each local authority here; and the staffing costs for each member of staff at the grade of assistant fire chief and fire chief on a county basis. [23425/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Information regarding the ratio of Assistant Chief Fire Officers to Fire Service Personnel and staffing costs for Chief Fire Officers and Assistant Chief Fire Officers is not routinely compiled in my Department.

My Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, however, conducted a Baseline Study of the fire and rescue services in Ireland in 2008/2009. Each local authority was requested to complete a survey document to gather information on fire services across the State. The primary purpose of the Study was to provide a benchmark of the current status of local authority fire and emergency services, against which future progress would be measured.

The survey identified 271 officers (including 30 Chief Fire Officers and 100 Assistant Chief Fire Officers) and 3,416 fire fighters countrywide, who provide and manage the delivery of fire services from 220 fire stations, using a fleet of some 500 vehicles. On average, there is one operational fire officer for every 44 fire fighters covering a population of 15,000 people. The returns also indicated one chief fire officer for every 114 fire fighters. Accordingly, I consider that the Irish Fire Service is appropriately structured and I appreciate the high quality of services provided and managed by our senior fire officers and front line fire fighters.

The annual budget provided by local authorities for running fire services is of the order of €240m. Requests for staffing in the fire services have been approved, following consideration of individual requests, within the Employment Control Framework.

Salaries of Chief Fire Officers and Assistant Chief Fire Officers are aligned to those of engineers in local authorities. The current salary scales are contained in the tables.

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 569: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans regarding to fire services here, specifically if it is envisaged that there will be a national fire service to replace the individual full and part time services that currently exist in each county. [23426/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The provision of a fire service, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of premises and the making of such other provisions as it considers necessary or desirable is a statutory function of 37 statutorily designated fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003.

Fire services are structured and delivered by the thirty principal local authorities on a shared services basis. These fire authorities are supported by my Department through setting general policy, the provision of training support, the issue of guidance on operational and other related matters, and by the provision of capital funding.

A Review of Fire Services in Ireland conducted in 2002 concluded unambiguously that provision of fire services by the local authorities was an appropriate approach, which should be continued and strengthened. The report also recommended that national oversight, co-ordination and leadership of fire services should be strengthened. The establishment in 2009 of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management within my Department gave effect to this recommendation. The Directorate has taken over the functions of the Fire Services Council in an approach in keeping with the need to reduce the number of agencies, while providing appropriate political accountability.

While the National Directorate is not a national fire service, and fire authorities continue to deliver this service under the aegis of the local government system, it has recently set out a national blueprint and programme for developing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Fire Services. This is contained in the Irish Fire Services National Development Framework 2010-2015, available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. The Framework sets out policies and key actions in the areas of Fire Services Role in Society; National Processes and Standards; Staff Learning and Development; Quality Assurance Systems and Reporting Performance; and Service Infrastructure and Legislative Support.

The National Directorate, in collaboration with fire authorities, is currently developing national guidance on a range of issues in the interests of enhanced community safety.

Given that both the fire authorities at local level and the Directorate at national level are working well and meeting their respective mandates, I have no plans to establish a National Fire Service.