Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 4

Written Answers. - Emergency Services.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

134 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the call made by the Chief Fire Officers Association at its recent annual conference for the establishment of a new national agency to improve fire fighting and emergency services; if it is intended to act on the call from the association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12956/03]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

My Department is working with the local authority interests concerned to progress the recommendations of the Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services report. I intend for this process to be managed through a high level implementation group with participation from the key stakeholders, including the County and City Managers' Association and the Chief Fire Officers Association.

There is consensus on many priority areas for advancement. These 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 local authority fire services and building control functions with the objective of providing an improved customer service and better enforcement of building regulations.

The implementation process for the review must also take account of significant changes in the institutional and budgetary situation since the publication of recommendations early in 2002. In the meantime, the Government has developed new structures for emergency planning, civil defence and marine and inland water safety services. These changes make it less practicable to contemplate, for the short-term at least, a merger of these functions in a new agency as recommended by the review.

For these reasons, I intend that the implementation process for the review should focus on matters which are within the remit of my Department and the local authorities. These could include, in addition to the matters outlined, an enhanced role for the statutory Fire Services Council.

Tangible evidence of Government commitment to developing and modernising fire and emergency services nationwide is that since 1998 this Government has invested more than €66 million in capital funding for the service, with a capital allocation of more than €18.5 million in 2003. This has seen 33 new fire stations completed, including 11 completed last year. The purchase of more than 130 fire appliances has also been approved.

I expect the Licensing of Indoor Events Bill will be enacted by the end of May. It will extend the range of options for fire authority inspectors to deal with fire safety risks in premises which they identify on inspection. The Bill will also strengthen the enforcement powers of senior fire officers under the Fire Services Act 1981. It specifically provides for the issue of a closure notice by the authorised fire inspector in circumstances of a grave and immediate danger to the safety of persons on a premises.