Vol. 560 No. 3
441 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he intends to establish a national authority for fire and civil protection to replace the multitude of agencies and officials spread across a range of Government Departments, voluntary agencies and local authorities. [2521/03]
As already indicated, the early establishment of a fire services authority will not be feasible in current circumstances. However, there is much in the report on the review of fire safety and fire services which can usefully be progressed without the early establishment of such an authority. I intend, therefore, to press ahead with those recommendations which relate to services within the remit of my Department.
This will include the development of community fire safety programmes to shift the current focus from responding to fires to fire prevention, the adoption of a risk-based approach to the determination of fire cover standards in keeping with best international practice, the introduction of a competency based approach to recruitment, retention and career progression within the fire service and the issue of merging of local authority fire services and building control functions with the objective of providing an improved customer service and better enforcement of building regulations.
