Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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701. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the new fire station in Manorhamilton will be permitted to advance to construction stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43777/18]

Damien English (Meath West, 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 and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service 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.

In February 2016, my Department announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on an 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. The five-year programme proposed the construction/ refurbishment of twenty six (26) fire stations. This included sixteen (16) new builds and ten (10) upgrade/ refurbishments.

A new fire station at Manorhamilton is provided for in the Capital Programme with an indicative commencement date of 2019. My Department is awaiting a design proposal from Leitrim County Council to enable the project to proceed to the next stage.