Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
1471. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will grant funding for an extension to Longford town fire station at a cost of €450,000 - the application for funding was made by Longford County Council. [33008/14]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.
Provision was made for the construction of an extension to Longford fire station in 2007 and approval-in-principle was conveyed to Longford County Council to proceed with the preparation of design drawings and a cost plan. The project progressed to tender stage in 2009, and a total of €43,081 was recouped by my Department to Longford County Council in relation to fees incurred.
In 2010, given constraints on public finances and the fact that Longford County Council was also seeking financial support for the construction of a new fire station at Lanesboro, my Department requested the Council to determine its order of priority in relation to both projects. The Council confirmed in July 2010 that the Lanesboro fire station project was the number one priority on their list of capital works. The project to construct a new two - bay fire station at Lanesboro was approved and is on-going. To date my Department has recouped costs of €365,984 to Longford County Council for costs incurred on the construction of the Lanesboro project.
Given the on-going constraints on public finances, further support from my Department’s Fire Services Capital Programme to proceed with an extension to the fire station in Longford Town will have regard to national priorities, the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide, Longford County Council’s priorities, the extent of current and previous investment in Longford fire service, the value for money offered by proposals and the status of existing facilities having regard to risk categorisation.
