Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
501. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of funding requests that his Department has received from Meath County Council seeking additional funding to purchase additional fire appliances for Meath fire service in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and the number of the requests received that were approved in each of the years in question, in tabular form. [39975/23]
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 Service Acts, 1981 and 2003.
My Department supports fire authorities by establishing policy, setting national standards for fire safety and fire service provision, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects and the procurement of essential front-line fire appliances, ancillary vehicles and equipment.
Under Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003, 31 local authorities 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 staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters.
As detailed in the following requested table, in 2021 Meath County Council were allocated a new Class B Fire appliance under my Departments OGP Framework Agreement framework. In 2022 Meath County Council sought and were approved funding for the purchase of two Water Tankers. To date in 2023 no requests for additional funding have been received by my Department to support the purchase of fire appliances. My Department will continue to work closely with Meath County Council to progress the funding of priority projects as identified by the Council from the fire services capital programme.
|
Year |
2021 |
2022 |
2023(To 18 September) |
|
Meath County Council Appliance funding requests |
(1) X Class B Fire Appliance |
(2) x Water Tankers |
n/a |
