John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the capital delivery programme for fire stations in County Cork, including details of projects currently under construction, those at design or planning stage, and the expected timelines for delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53205/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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Three new fire stations at Kanturk, Macroom and Clonakilty were prioritised for inclusion in the 2021 – 2025 fire services Capital programme. New Kanturk and Macroom fire stations were officially opened in May and September of 2022, respectively. The third new fire station at Clonakilty has now been completed and I understand planning has begun for an official opening ceremony to take place later this year.

In correspondence with officials from my Department, Cork County Council have indicated several new fire station projects at Dunmanway, Charleville, Mitchelstown and Youghal that they expect to seek inclusion of in the Fire Services Capital Programme 2026 – 2030. My Department will work closely with Cork County Council to progress their identified priority infrastructural projects, within the context of the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide for capital funding.

Capital funding allocations for 2026 and beyond remain a matter of discussion between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in the context of the Budget and Estimates process. It would be premature to comment on the proposed Fire Service Capital Programme 2026 - 2030 prior to confirmation of the outcome of that budgetary process and the subsequent finalisation of a new fire services capital programme.