Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding a new fire station for Kenmare, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43524/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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 and the provision of fire station premises and equipment for use by the fire service personnel, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act s 1981 and 2003.

My Department, through the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.

The existing fire station in Kenmare was built in 1977 and the fire brigade responds to some 60 call-outs per year. In 2008, approval was conveyed to the Council in respect of a new fire station to proceed to planning stage and I understand that planning permission was granted. In February 2009, Kerry County Council was advised that the proposal was being reviewed in the context of budgetary constraints.

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 currently nearing completion. Under this scheme Kerry County Council has received delivery of a new Class B appliance at a cost of €309,619.

Given the constraints on public finances, further support from my Department’s fire services capital programme to replace Kenmare fire station will have regard to national priorities, the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide, Kerry County Council’s priorities, the extent of previous investment in Kerry fire service, the value for money offered by proposals and the status of existing facilities in relation to the area risk categorisation.