Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether there are less firefighters per head of population here compared to the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9486/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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There is no comparative study readily available of the type referred to relating to inputs to fire service provision. Without a detailed study it would be difficult to make a meaningful comparison as some available figures include support and/or administrative staff.

However, a preliminary review of headline information indicates London fire b rigade serves a population of some 7 million people with approximately 7 , 000 staff or 1, 000 per million of population; Greater Manchester, with some 2.5 million people has approximately 2,500 staff placing the fire service also in the range of 1,000 per million population. Dublin’s fire service serves a population of some 1.1 million people with approximately 1, 000 staff, making it slightly below the 1,000 per million population mark. As noted above, fire-fighter numbers are but one potential measure of resource in put to fire service provision. A wide range of additional factors including i ssues related to comparative costs per fire-fighter between the UK and Ireland, and efficiency of deployment including shift systems and crewing levels, would also need to be considered in any comparative study.

The outcomes from fire service activity are critical and it is important to acknowledge that the number of fire incidents is being driven down consistently year on year. While every death from fire is a death too many, the provisional toll for 2012, with 28 people killed in fires, is the lowest annual figure for fire deaths for four decades. I give full credit to communities themselves as well as everyone involved in fire safety and fire services for the work which has brought about this consistent reduction in Ireland’s fire death rate to a figure of approximately 6 fire fatalities per million of population. Achieving this level of community safety places Ireland in the very top league of fire safe countries, and our challenge now is to sustain this high level of safety from fire.