Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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91. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of fire trucks currently in Dublin Fire Brigade fleet; the number that are operational; the age of each fire truck; the date each was procured; and whom they were procured from, in tabular form. [45349/24]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there are plans to procure additional fire trucks for Dublin Fire Brigade; if so, if those being considered are new or second-hand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45350/24]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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93. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will conduct a full audit of the standard of the Dublin Fire Brigade fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45351/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 92 and 93 together.

The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003.

My Department supports the fire authorities through setting national policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding, including recoupment (within the overall funding available) of costs incurred by fire authorities in relation to the approved purchase of fire appliances and emergency equipment, as well as construction and upgrading of fire stations.

Decisions regarding the number and type of fire appliances maintained are a matter for each fire authority, having regard to the assessment of their individual fire cover needs and the provision and management of a fleet adequate to their requirements. In the assessment of their fire cover needs, including the provision and management of a fleet adequate to their requirements, fire service management determine fire station Area Risk Categorisation based on multi-annual data of fire risk, having regard to the standards set out in the national policy document “Keeping Communities Safe” for benchmarking service delivery.

In December 2020, I announced the Fire Services Capital Programme for the period 2021-2025, with a funding allocation of €61m. Included within the capital programme was the allocation of 35 new appliances, from which Dublin City Council received an allocation of four new ‘Class B’ appliances. Continued investment in the fire appliance fleet has been identified as a key national priority; that is why, in October 2023, I announced the allocation of an additional 40 new fire appliances at a cost of €20.8m. Dublin City Council received an allocation for a further four new appliances. Dublin City Council was also grant-aided to procure three new “Class B” fire appliances in both the 2015 and 2017 Programmes.

My Department works with fire services in Dublin in relation to their priority projects. In July 2019, Dublin City Council were approved to purchase a new turntable ladder/ aerial appliance at a cost of €800,000 plus VAT, which they took delivery of in 2021. In September 2021, the Council requested approval for the purchase of a second new turntable ladder at a cost of €850,000 plus VAT which was delivered in 2023.

In May 2023, the council received approval for the purchase of two new Emergency Tender appliances at a cost of €760,000 plus VAT.

In September 2024, following consideration of a business case from Dublin Fire Brigade, grant assistance funding of approximately €438,000 was approved for the purchase of seven pre-owned Class B appliances for the DFB training/reserve fleet.

Fire appliances are acquired through a competitive tendering process. The detailed information on the age, number and vehicle type of the Dublin Fire Brigade fleet is not available in my Department. It should be available directly from the Fire Authority, in this instance Dublin City Council who, through Dublin Fire Brigade, provide fire services for all four Dublin local authorities.