Skip to main content
Normal View

Fire Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2004

Wednesday, 15 December 2004

Questions (284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290)

Brian O'Shea

Question:

298 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government has outlined any change or deviation from the plans on the programme for development of the national fire authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34070/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

299 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is proceeding with the programme for the fire services as outlined by his predecessor on 5 May 2004 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34071/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

300 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the role of the Fire Services Council has been changed from the way outlined by his predecessor in May 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34072/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

316 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to set up the national fire authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33805/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

317 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proportion of the €1 million set aside by his predecessor for the setting up of the national fire authority has been spent in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33806/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

318 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of the recommendations of the Farrell, Grant, Sparks report on the fire service which have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33807/04]

View answer

Brian O'Shea

Question:

319 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to urgently improve the low morale within the fire service nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33808/04]

View answer

Written answers

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.

Top
Share