Richard Bruton
Ceist:14 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment the reason his Department have not acted to establish a national training centre for fire services which was recommended in the report of the Stardust Tribunal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fire Service.
Pat Lee
Ceist:73 Dr. Lee asked the Minister for the Environment if he has any plans to review the adequacy and efficiency of the fire service throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:100 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment whether he has considered the recommendations in the Stardust Tribunal report which deal with amendments to the Fire Services Act, 1981; and if he has plans to introduce amending legislation.
Ivor Callely
Ceist:160 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the improvements which have occurred in the fire service since 1981; and his proposals for further developments in the coming years.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 73, 100 and 160 together.
Since 1981 the fire service has been developed and improved with the consistent support and backing of successive Governments. Improvements have been carried out on a comprehensive basis, covering such areas as the financing and equipping of the service, its organisation and staffing, the legislative framework and emergency planning. In the implementation of these developments, all the recommendations of the Stardust Tribunal's report have received full and careful consideration and they have been of significant assistance to successive Governments in furthering their policies concerning fire safety and the fire services generally. I am satisfied that the improvements which have been effected have significantly strengthened the capacity of the fire service to respond to fires and other emergencies and to engage in fire prevention activities.
The following is a brief indication of the progress made. Some £60 million has been provided from State funds since 1981 for capital investment in the fire service. This has financed work which has been completed or which is in progress on 75 new or reconstructed fire stations, the purchase of 238 new fire appliances and major improvements in telecommunications, emergency equipment and so on.
Prior to 1982, there were only 30 professional posts — chief fire officer — in the fire service; now there are 142 such posts, of which 71 are specifically for fire prevention work.
The Fire Services Act, 1981 up-dated and reinforced the existing legislation. The Act particularly strengthened the powers of fire authorities to enforce fire safety. The Fire Safety in Places of Assembly (Ease of Escape) Regulations, 1985, make the locking of exits and blocking of escape routes from places of assembly an offence with fines for breaches of up to £10,000 and/or up to two years in prison. The passing of the Building Control Act, 1990, has enabled drafting work on the new building regulations, which will incorporate fire safety requirements for new buildings, to proceed to an advanced stage.
In regard to existing buildings, priority has been given to the production of detailed fire safety advice in respect of priority areas such as places of assembly, hotels and guesthouses, and community-based residences for mentally-handicapped or mentally-ill people. Work is continuing on the preparation of further advice and guidelines.
While I have no proposals for amendment of the Fire Services Act, 1981 the identification of specific legislative steps which might be taken to strengthen fire safety, such as the making of further fire safety regulations under section 37 of the Act, is going ahead in the light of experience of the working of the various comprehensive measures already taken towards improving fire safety.
Operational guidelines covering aspects of training, design of fire stations, uniforms and rank markings, drills, etc., have been issued as aids to fire authorities in improving the efficiency of the fire service. Work is continuing on the preparation of further codes and guidelines.
Since they were set up in 1983, the Fire Services Council have run 105 training courses at central level for 1,730 fire service personnel, to supplement the training carried out locally by the fire authorities themselves. I have asked the Fire Services Council for a report on the need, and possible arrangements, for a national training centre, the establishment of which was recommended in the report of the Stardust Tribunal. The council are considering this matter in the context of current training needs and progress achieved, and the range of facilities now available. In the meantime, there has been a massive improvement in the level of fire service training carried out by the fire authorities themselves and by the Fire Services Council, with extensive use being made of the new and improved training facilities available in Dublin and in other areas and with use of facilities available abroad for specialised courses where appropriate.
Local authorities now have well-developed plans for dealing with major accidents and emergencies. Twenty local authorities have installed computer-based information systems to assist in dealing with incidents involving dangerous substances. I have agreed arrangements with the Federation of Irish Chemical Industries which provide for advice and assistance by the industry to fire authorities when responding to chemical emergencies.
Three fire service mobilisation and communications systems are being developed, to cover the entire country on a regional basis. These developments are designed to provide fire authorities with the most modern, up to date, telecommunications systems.
It is my intention to continue to foster and assist the development and improvement of the fire service as comprehensively as possible. While fire authorities are responsible for fire fighting and fire prevention in their own administrative areas I am kept adequately advised by my Department's officers, through their visits to, and normal ongoing contacts with, the local authorities fire services, and, through the information submitted generally and in support of particular proposals for developments requiring capital funding, of the overall state of the local authority fire services.
I thank the Minister for his very lengthy reply. Why is there no inspectorate of fire services as was recommended? Secondly, why are there no statutory minimum requirements relating to furnishings, fittings, etc. in existing places of assembly? Further, will the Minister not agree that ten years is a long time to wait for a national training centre or the new control room at Tara Street, neither of which has yet appeared?
As far as matters concerning the inspectorate are concerned, the decision not to adopt that recommendation of the tribunal was announced in the Dáil by the then Minister, as long ago as 25 June 1985. I have no reason to change that decision at this time. The Deputy will be aware that we have issued a considerable number of guidelines in this regard as far as fire safety and fire prevention are concerned and he will be aware of the code of practice for the management of fire safety in places of assembly——
The guidelines are not legally enforceable.
The Deputy will be aware of the code of practice for the management of fire safety in places of assembly and also of the code of practice for fire safety of furnishings and fittings in places of assembly and a guide to fire precautions in existing hotels, guesthouses and similar premises. All of that has been put in place. I understand from my advisers that very big improvements have taken place on the whole question of the fire services since 1981.
It is now almost ten years to the day since the Stardust tragedy. Is the Minister now telling us that one of the central recommendations of the report of that inquiry, namely the establishment of a national training centre, has been abandoned by the Government and that we are to continue to see circumstances obtain in which fire officers of local authorities here must go abroad to get essential training?
No, I did not say that. What I said was that the matter was being considered by the Fire Safety Council. I spoke with them personally on that matter only last week.
We must now proceed to the next business — Private Notice Questions.
Three Deputies have been given permission to raise Private Notice Questions. I will take them in the order in which the questions were submitted and call first on Deputy De Rossa.