Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1600. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the proposed fire station for Virginia, County Cavan; when this project will proceed to tender stage; the timeframe for construction; the estimated cost of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34741/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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.

A proposal by Cavan County Council to build a new fire station at Virginia was received in 2000 by my Department and approval-in-principle was granted to proceed to the planning stages. Cavan County Council submitted costings and design plans during 2000 for consideration by my Department. At that time, new fire station projects at Dowra and Bailieborough were progressing, along with proposals for a new station at Cootehill, and the Council was informed that the proposals for Virginia fire station were under consideration. In 2007, Cavan County Council submitted an updated cost plan and requested approval to proceed to tender. In 2008, my Department requested the Council to prepare contract documents and an updated cost plan. These were received in 2011. Given the constraints on public finances, the priority of the Fire Services Capital Programme has been given to replacing the fire appliance fleet and further support from my Department’s Fire Services Capital Programme to proceed with a new fire station at Virginia will have regard to these national priorities, the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide, Cavan County Council’s priorities, the extent of previous investment in Cavan fire service, the value for money offered by proposals and the status of existing facilities having regard to area risk categorisation.