Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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1620. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the fire service. [34859/14]

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.

Fire appliances and emergency equipment are purchased by individual fire authorities. Eligible and approved costs incurred by fire authorities in relation to such purchases may be reimbursed as appropriate within the overall funding available to my Department under the Fire Services Capital Programme. The Fire Services Capital Programme, like all public service expenditure and tendering processes, is subject to the Public Spending Code and is also subject to public service auditing, along with all public bodies.

It is generally recognised that, the operation of the Fire Services Capital Programme has over many years provided Ireland’s fire services with a first class infrastructure of fire stations, fire appliances, specialist equipment and mobilisation and radio communication facilities. As a general point, the procurement of emergency vehicles typically takes up to two years, and involves

specialist appliance-building firms. It is understood that, in the fire authority referred to, there have been occasional difficulties in introducing new/ replacement appliances to the fleet due to restrictive practices.