Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the household charge covers the cost of the fire brigade services. [31035/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Revenues from the household charge support the provision of essential local services. Internationally, local services are administered by local authorities and financed by local service charges. In Ireland, local authorities are responsible for, among other services, planning and development; fire and emergency services; roads; public parks; libraries; open spaces and leisure amenities; maintenance and cleaning of streets and street lighting. These services benefit everyone.

Local authorities are permitted, under statute, to charge fees in relation to the services they provide. Often fees charged by a local authority reflect only a portion of the overall cost of attendance at incidents. The other costs of the service, including fire prevention, inspections and emergency management are met through a range of income sources, including commercial rates, Government grants and subsidies, the household charge and the charge on non-principal private residences. Communities benefit from the entirety of these fire and emergency services.

In many cases the householder or premises owner may recoup charges for attendance of the fire brigade at incidents such as house fires, road traffic accidents, and hay barn fires from relevant insurance policies, including motor, home and farm policies.