Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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522. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of a report into Cork city’s fire cover; and if he will commit to fund the phased plan to deliver fire services in Cork city. [32475/25]

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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523. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of a report into Cork city’s fire cover; and if he will commit to fund the phased plan to deliver fire services in Cork city. [32476/25]

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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524. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a funding application for phase 1 of Cork city’s upgrading of fire services has been received by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management; and when a decision will be made by same. [32477/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 522, 523 and 524 together.

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 & 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 priority infrastructural projects.

In December 2020, Minister Darragh O’Brien announced the 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;
• value for money offered by the proposal; and
• the totality of requests from all authorities.

• a hook loader,
• an Unmanned Ground Vehicle,
• funding for the purchase and fit out of several fire service support vehicles;
• funding for the allocation of a new Class B fire tender under the 2021 – 2023 Office of Government Procurement (OGP) framework.

• a new high reach aerial appliance,
• a new Class B appliance from the 2023 – 2025 OGP framework,
• a new Water Tanker,
• a new Emergency Tender
• breathing apparatus sets and washing unit,
• battery operated RTC extrication tools,
• additional support vehicles and emergency response equipment.