Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I assume the Question relates to the Reports on the "Area Risk Categorisation" process as outlined in Chapter 7 of “Keeping Communities Safe” (KCS).

I can confirm that fire service management in all 27 fire services have prepared Area Risk Categorisations (ARCs) in accordance with KCS. These are local documents, reflecting the local view of fire risk as determined by local fire service management, and evidenced by extensive data sets. These have been developed by each of the local authorities, and issues regarding their publication are a matter for the local authorities themselves. I anticipate that local authorities will make this first round of their ARCs available to interested parties in due course.

I can confirm that a two-person “External Validation Group” was tasked to visit all 27 fire services, with a view to ensuring that each service's ARC is consistent with the process recommended in the KCS document. The External Validation Group has completed their programme of visits to all 27 fire services and I expect to publish the Group's report by the end of Q2 2015.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management commenced a project to develop a national 'Risk Based Approach' (RBA) to fire cover. This involved analysis of three years of fire services data and has enabled analysis and comparison of trends down to fire station level. The first phase of the RBA project was the production of the “Risk Based Management Report – National Analysis”, which looked at the individual station and authority information and compiled it into a national data set, which was distributed to local authorities.

The second phase of the “Risk Based Management Approach” project, which is currently being progressed, involves creation of reports providing detailed analysis and information on the deployment of fire services resources on a national basis, with a view to giving effect to the principle of “nearest available resource” being mobilised to emergency incidents irrespective of administrative boundaries. The purpose of these reports is to provide guidance to fire authorities in reviewing and redefining the pre-determined attendances in their areas of responsibility.

The Isochronal sets referred to in the Deputy's question are one element of the second phase of the RBA project developed by the Regional Communications Centres in conjunction with local authorities. Accordingly, these are local documents, developed to support the local situation and are the property of each of the local authorities.

As such, decisions on whether or not to publish RBA reports and make them available to interested parties are matters for the individual local authorities to consider.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The policy document Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) was published in February 2013 by my Department. The document is the output of a review process undertaken by my Department through a collaborative process between central and local government. This involved expert professional input by Chief Fire Officers and fire services personnel. The development process also included stakeholder consultation and engagement with relevant technical organisations. A review team was formed which looked at previous reports on fire services and international practice literature. The team developed initial ideas on issues and brought these to the National Fire Directorate's Management Board. These were combined into the draft versions of the document, which were used in the consultation process.

The original Keeping Communities Safe document is supplemented by a series of subject-specific Support Documents and Good Practice Notes. These deal with areas like Fire Service Training and Safety Management Systems in Fire Service. The Good Practice Notes (GPNs) describe the approach taken to specific issues by individual fire authorities, endorsed at national level, and aim to further the objectives of achieving consistent good practice and inter-authority learning.

Working structures and arrangements have been put in place to ensure that fire services personnel, working collectively, are central to the further fire service development process. These comprise relevant professional experts from fire authorities, with a mandate and a commission from the National Director to produce specified outputs. I am grateful to all those personnel in fire authorities who have made and continue to make valuable contributions to maintaining Ireland's position in the league of most fire safe countries.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities designated in accordance with the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The fire authorities provide a range of operational and fire safety services through 27 service delivery units currently, using an infrastructure of some 220 fire stations and 600 fire appliances and associated specialist equipment.

My Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management provides support through setting general policy, the provision of training support and guidance on operational and other related matters, and capital funding which, over the last decade, has exceeded €155 million.

In February 2013 the Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) policy document was published as national policy and for the first time national standards were established for fire services in Ireland. Local authority fire service provision can now be benchmarked against these national standards. KCS was prepared through a collaborative approach between central and local government, involving expert professional input by Chief Fire Officers and fire services personnel.

The KCS development process considered the option of a national fire service but it was decided it should remain a local government service, while moving to a 'shared services' structure with a reduction in the number of service delivery units in the interests of consistency and an enhanced range of services.

The objective of KCS implementation in the period 2013-2015 is to have all fire services benchmarked against the national norms and standards while maintaining local political accountability. Accountability for fire service delivery is maintained through the normal arrangements under which the local authority executive is answerable to its elected members for the implementation of policy, as well as the exercise by local authority elected members of their reserved function of adopting “Fire and Emergency Operations Plans”, preparation of which is a statutory requirement under Section 26 of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The principles of local democratic control and accountability for fire service provision are therefore maintained, while at the same time providing for consistency and national standards for a public service as important as the fire service.