Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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406. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of requests received from Dublin City Council during 2013 under the fire service capital programme; the number of requests that were approved, refused or pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17526/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the 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.

Dublin City Council provides fire services on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities. Continued investment in the fire appliance fleet has been identified as one of the key national priorities for the fire services capital programme . In that context and in order to deliver cost efficiencies, a programme involving fire authorities aggregating demand and jointly procuring 17 fire appliances is now nearing completion, under which Dublin F ire Brigade received an allocation for two new appliance s. In 2013, my Department reimbursed Dublin City Council € 316,459 in respect of a claim under this programme. Dublin City Council were also recouped € 106,552 in respect of the Risk Based Approach to Emergency Cover project. No other requests for funding were received from Dublin City Council under the Fire Services Capital Programme in that year.

All requests for funding from my Department’s Fire Services Capital Programme will be considered within the constraints of available resources and will have regard to local authorities’ priorities, the value for money offered by proposals and the totality of requests from fire authorities.