Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1541. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of gorse fire incidents across Cork county for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; and the number of forestry fire incidents across Cork county for the same years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42254/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

My Department does not receive reports on incidents of gorse fires specifically, but collects fire statistics from fire authorities, including the number of incidents in the category “Forest/Bog /Grass etc.” as a single category. My Department publishes records on fire and emergency incidents annually. These records may be accessed at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/fire-statistics/

For your convenience, the information as it relates to your request is presented in the following table.

Number of "Forest/Bog/Grass etc." fire incidents

The returns for 2024 will be published shortly.