Written answers

Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Fire Service

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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323. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if an application for funding (details supplied) has been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10047/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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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 Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. 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 equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

I recently announced a new Fire Services Capital Programme for the period 2021 - 2025, with a funding allocation of €61m. Following extensive engagement with fire authorities, a number of proposals for station works etc. were received. The proposals were evaluated and prioritised on the basis of the:

- Area Risk Categorisation of the fire station (population, fire risks, etc.)

- established Health and Safety needs

- state of development of the project (is site acquired, etc.?) and

- value for money offered by the proposal.

This new Programme will see six new fire stations built, continued support for the construction of a further 12 new fire stations, nine fire station refurbishments as well as the allocation of 35 new fire engines, which includes the provision of a new fire station at New Ross and upgrade works to Gorey fire station. In order to maximise the available Capital Programme funding, my Department re-assesses the status of projects in the Programme on an annual basis, and some flexibility is normally available to advance projects that offer best value-for-money and take account of the state of readiness of projects more generally.

While a new fire station at Enniscorthy is not included in the current Capital Programme, it is included in a list of projects for inclusion in an annual review. Wexford County Council submitted a preliminary appraisal, with a request for approval-in-principle to proceed to design stage, for a new fire station at Enniscorthy to my Department in October 2020 which is currently under review. My Department will continue to work with Wexford County Council to progress the Enniscorthy fire station project.

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