Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide a fire service to replace the voluntary service in Castlegregory, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37326/11]

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, 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 the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. Accordingly, the question of whether the voluntary fire service referred to in the question should be replaced is a matter for the Kerry fire authority.

Kerry County Council's fire services are provided through a retained staffing system. Retained fire-fighters are employees of fire authorities, and are organised to provide a full professional fire service throughout the county, including Castlegregory and its hinterland.

The retained fires services are appropriately trained, equipped, supervised and operate to proper procedures. Volunteer fire units operate in a relatively small number of areas, but outside the direct control of the fire authority. The volunteer unit in question does not have the requisite training to attend certain types of incidents. While it has received some training, equipment and funding from the Council in the past, it does not report to and is not under the control of the Council's Fire Section.

I would again like to re-iterate that the most effective measure to protect the lives of persons in Castlegregory, as in all communities, is to ensure that each dwelling is fitted with proper smoke alarms. I encourage all households in Kerry, as throughout the country, to ensure that this is the case.