Written answers

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Fire Service

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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494. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which part-time or whole-time fire services currently exist throughout the country; the extent to which it is expected to develop the service in the future on a part-time or whole-time basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26158/14]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The provision of a 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 individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 2001. My Department supports fire authorities through the setting of general policy, provision of training support, issue of guidance on operational and other related matters and the provision of capital funding.

The provision of fire services by local authorities is based on a risk management approach which involves an analysis of the nature of the fire hazards and the incidence and extent of fires which occur as well as the fire protection measures in place. The fire services in the cities of Dublin, Cork, and Limerick are staffed on a full-time basis; Galway, Waterford, Drogheda and Dundalk have a combined full-time and retained service; while fire services in all other communities are provided by the retained system, which operates on a call-out basis when required.

In February 2013, I published Keeping Communities safe (KCS), which , as national policy, is intended to keep fire safety and fire services in Ireland in line with international best practice. KCS includes, inter alia, the rationalisation of structures to deliver effective fire services. This entails fire services remaining within local authorities, but service delivery is to be reshaped from the current 30 fire services to 21 – 14 single service delivery units and 7 shared services.

KCS is based on a risk management approach, which addresses the critical elements of fire prevention and fire protection within buildings a s well as response. In that vein, each fire service is currently undertaking an initial risk categorisation process for its functional area. In order to provide a comprehensive and effective fire service to the community, Section 26 of the Fire Services Act provides that local authorities adopt fire and emergency operations plans, indicating the provision made in respect of organisation, appliances, equipment, fire stations, training, operational procedure and any such matters as may be relevant. The risk categorisation process referred to above will help inform local decision making in this regard.

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