I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 to 300, inclusive, and 316 to 319, inclusive, together.
My Department has implemented a number of the important recommendations of the report, Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland. These include, in particular, the enactment of the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003, which addressed a number of legislative changes called for in the review. Capital investment in the fire service has continued to increase. At national level the Government has put in place new structures for emergency planning, civil defence and marine and inland water safety services.
Following a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders, my Department has been working to develop a coherent strategy to implement other key fire safety and fire services elements of the review recommendations. These include the development of community fire safety programmes to shift the current focus from responding to fires to fire prevention, the development 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 and the enhancement of health, safety and welfare programmes within the fire service. This strategy will be outlined formally to the stakeholders early in 2005 with a view to building support for it by all of the parties. The priority at this stage in regard to modernisation of the fire service is to use available resources to bring about direct improvements in the areas I have just outlined.
In 2004, €19 million has been provided for fire services capital projects in line with the recommendations of the review report. No other moneys were spent this year in the implementation of the review.