Written answers

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Fire Service Issues

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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493. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if it is his intention to provide a new round of funding for the procurement of fire service equipment, including vehicles, for local authorities across the country; and if he will provide a breakdown of the proposed capital investment of €3 million in fire and emergency services in budget 2014. [50856/13]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil 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 premises and the making of other such provisions as it considers necessary or desirable, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003. 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 specialist emergency and communications equipment as well as construction and upgrading of fire stations.

Given the current constraints on public finances, further support from my Department’s fire services capital programme will have regard to the budgetary situation, national priorities, the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide, their priorities and the status of existing facilities, the extent of previous investment in fire services and the value for money offered by proposals. I envisage that proposed capital investment in the fire service for 2014, pending final approval of specific projects, will be under the following: fire station projects €4m, communications systems €2m and appliances and equipment €2m.

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