Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
769. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details as to what provision there is in the Budget allocated to the LGMA for the running of the Retained Fire Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16959/23]
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 Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running a central training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. Fire services issues are managed in my Department by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM).
Fire services are provided in Ireland by the local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under this legislation, there are 31 fire authorities which provide fire prevention and fire protection services for communities through 27 service delivery structures. Local authority fire services are delivered by approximately 3,300 local authority staff engaged at 217 fire stations nationwide, with 16 of these stations being staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters.
The Local Government Management Authority (LGMA) is a state agency established in 2012 that provides a range of professional services to local authorities, working collaboratively with each local authority to support the coordinated and cost effective delivery of local government services and policy; particularly in terms of sectoral approaches to service delivery, researching emerging and identified issues, assisting local authorities in the implementation and measurement of change, and supporting, in general, enhanced performance by the local government sector. The LGMA hold no role in the effective running or funding of local authority Retained Fire Services. Fire services are funded from annual local authority budgets.
