James Browne (Wexford, 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 Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and progressing legislation, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

In December 2020, Minister Darragh O'Brien 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;
• established Health and Safety needs;
• state of development of the project; and
• value for money offered by the proposal.

This new Programme is supporting the construction of six new fire stations, 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. 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 are ready and that offer best value-for-money, taking account of the state of readiness of projects more generally. Project consideration stages in my Department include submission of preliminary and detailed appraisals; submission of a design brief; selection of a site; application for approval in principle; appointment of design consultants; submission of a preliminary design; a planning application; submission of a preliminary cost plan, detailed design and cost plans; and tender process and construction stages - each step subject to approval from my Department.Following the receipt of the Strategic Assessment Report on ‘Fire & Emergency Cover in West Dublin‘ commissioned by Dublin City Council, my Department wrote to the Chief Fire Officer outlining its support for this project's progression to the next step of the public spending code. Dublin City Council commissioned a Preliminary Business Case "Fire and Emergency Cover Provision for West Dublin" that examined several option recommendations detailed within the Strategic Assessment Report. Following consideration of the Preliminary Business Case, my Department corresponded with Dublin City Council issuing approval in principle based on its recommendations to progress the project to full design and cost plan stage.My Department continues to work closely with Dublin City Council to advance this project.