Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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289. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when construction of a new fire station in Macroom will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34896/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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, the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department 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.

My Department, earlier this year, announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on the current annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised Fire Stations, an upgrade of the Communications and Mobilisation system and improvements to Training Centres. Under this programme, sixteen new-build fire stations are to be provided and ten fire stations are to be upgraded. The projects in the capital programme will be reassessed on an annual basis and priority may be adjusted to bring forward projects offering best value-for-money and to take account of the state of readiness of the projects.

A new fire station for Macroom is included in the Fire Services Capital Programme 2016-2020. My Department wrote to Cork County Council in July this year, in view of the significant capital allocation envisaged, requesting confirmation that any plans submitted remain current, or if new plans are proposed. The submission of a capital appraisal and revised cost plan was also requested. My Department currently awaits these submissions.

The indicative year for tendering for the Macroom project is 2017; however, all proposed projects in the programme will be reassessed on an on-going basis and priority will be given to projects offering the greatest value-for-money and earliest completion dates.