Fire Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 March 2006

Wednesday, 8 March 2006

Ceisteanna (112)

Kathleen Lynch

Ceist:

106 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to establish and fund a proper and consistent fire policing regime to ensure that fire chiefs have the resources to carry out spot checks on entertainment venues and to inform owners of such premises of their responsibilities, following recent revelations by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association that the current funds shortfall could result in a tragedy on the same scale as the Stardust. [9582/06]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche)

The provision of a fire service, including the carrying out of inspections of buildings and taking enforcement proceedings, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities and my Department has no direct role in this matter.

My Department supports local fire authorities through the setting of general policy, the provision of capital funding, the issue of guidance to fire authorities in relation to fire prevention and operational matters, and other such initiatives. The local government fund general purpose grants paid to local authorities by my Department have been significantly increased in recent years and it is a matter for individual local authorities, in the context of their budgetary process, to set their own expenditure priorities and determine how the resources available from grants and other income should be spent.