Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funding will be made available for the provision of a new fire station (details supplied) in County Offaly. [39253/11]

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.

My Department supports fire authorities through the setting of general policy and guidance, and the provision of capital funding, including the recoupment (within the overall funding available) of costs incurred by fire authorities in relation to the approved purchase of fire appliances and emergency equipment as well as construction and upgrading of fire stations. Continued investment in the fire appliance fleet has been identified as a key national priority for the available capital funds.

A proposal by Offaly County Council to construct a replacement station in Ferbane was approved in principle by my Department in 2008. Given the current constraints on public finances, further support from my Department's fire services capital programme to replace Ferbane fire station will have regard to the county council's priorities, the extent of previous investment in fire services in Offaly, the location of existing facilities and the value for money offered by proposals, and the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide.