The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 and 2003. 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 and equipment.
My Department has channelled significant investment to fire authorities over the last number of years to improve the quality of Ireland’s fire service infrastructure. Donegal County Council, in partnership with my Department, has made substantial progress in modernising fire stations in the county. They have replaced 12 of the 15 fire stations in the county from 1998 to 2009, with investment of some €11 million by my Department.
In February 2016, my Department announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on an annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised Fire Stations, an upgrade of the Communications and Mobilisation system and improvements to Training Centres.
My Department reviews the status of projects on the list on an annual basis, and adjustments, including some additions, are made to the published five-year programme. This includes consideration of additional fire station projects from fire authorities which fit the normal fire station project criteria and where an appropriate business case is presented. My Department has indicated to Donegal County Council that it will consider a proposal for advancing a fire station project in the south of the county as part of this Programme.
The investment by my Department in new vehicles and appliances for Donegal Fire and Rescue Service since 2016 is set out in table 1 below, and includes two new Class B fire appliances as well as four new all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles.
Table 1- New vehicles provided under Fire Services Capital Programme to Donegal Fire Service
|
Year
|
Vehicle type
|
Amount €
|
|
2016
|
Three AWD vehicles
|
104,278
|
|
2017
|
One AWD vehicle
|
75,353
|
|
|
One 'Class B' fire appliance
|
398,686
|
|
2019
|
One 'Class B' fire appliance
|
452,294
|
|
Total
|
|
1,030,611
|
My Department has also approved funding for the purchase of previously owned vehicles/appliances and other capital items during the 2016-2019 period. Details of these are set out in table 2 below.
Table 2 Previously Owned etc. Vehicles/Appliances etc. provided under the Fire Services Capital Programme to Donegal Fire Service
|
Year
|
Capital Expenditure Type
|
Notes
|
Amount € (ex VAT)
|
|
2016
|
Two ‘Class B’ fire appliances
|
Previously Owned
|
90,000
|
|
2017
|
Emergency Vehicle
|
Previously Owned
|
50,000
|
|
|
Two 'Class B' fire appliance
|
Previously Owned
|
90,000
|
|
2018
|
Two 'Class B' fire appliance
|
Previously Owned
|
95,000
|
|
2019
|
Water Tanker
|
New
|
130,000
|
|
|
Incident Command Vehicle
|
Refurbished
|
52,000
|
|
Total
|
|
|
507,000
|
I understand that not all payments listed in table 2 have so far been claimed by the Council.
