Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of hoax calls to which Cork city and county fire services were called out in 2014, 2015, and to date in 2016; the estimated cost to the service of responding to these calls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23855/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The numbers of false alarm incidents within their functional areas and attended by Cork City and County fire services for the years 2014 and 201 5 are set out in the table below. These data are based on annual fire statistics returns from each individual Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service. The statistical information for 2016 will not be collected until early next year. The table shows calls broken down by sub-categories of “malicious” and “good intent”, according to the call-makers intentions. “Good intent” includes responses to fire alarms which may turn out not to involve a fire.

The costs incurred in responding to these calls are a matter for the local authority concerned and this information is, therefore, not available in my Department.