Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Fire Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2019

Thursday, 7 November 2019

Ceisteanna (215)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

215. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he is satisfied that the fire authorities here have the capacity to respond effectively to a fire in a high-rise residential development in view of the Grenfell fire tragedy in the UK; if there is a national training centre to train fire service personnel in high-rise firefighting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45880/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The provision of a fire service in its functional area is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003.

My Department supports fire authorities through setting national policy, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters, providing capital funding for priority infrastructure projects and overseeing and administering a central national training programme delivered using a number of venues around the country rather than one national training centre.

National policy in relation to fire safety is set out in the 2013 document titled “Keeping Communities Safe – A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland”. This document set out a national process and standards against which local authorities can benchmark their fire services.

An External Validation Group was mandated by the Management Board of my Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management to visit all 27 fire services. They prepared the 2016 Report “Local Delivery – National Consistency - Fire Services in Ireland”. The Validation Groups Report indicated that generally the fire services provided in Ireland were operating to appropriate standards delivered with integrity and professionalism by those with responsibility for managing and delivering fire safety and fire services in Ireland. A further External Validation process is due to commence in the near future and it will have a renewed focus on high-rise fire capabilities.

With specific reference to the Grenfell Tower fire in the UK, the Grenfell Tower tragedy took place on 14 June 2017 and I established a Fire Safety Task Force to examine fire safety in Ireland, and in particular the risk of a similar tragedy happening here, on 27 June. The Report of the Task Force which is available on my Department's website, was brought to Government in May 2018.

Overall, the Report, which included a review of fire safety in 839 buildings over 6 storeys, found that the combination of factors that contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire do not seem to be present in Ireland and that the current fire safety strategy in Ireland, which includes evacuation, is appropriate and effective in protecting people living in medium to high-rise buildings.

The Report did, however, make a range of recommendations for improvements in relation to fire safety and work is underway in terms of: regulatory provisions; fire service operations and fire safety, particularly around fire detection and alarm systems.

I have now asked my Department to review the Report on Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which was recently published and to bring forward any additional recommendations as appropriate.

Equipment is generally a matter for fire authorities based on their assessment of fire risk and requirements. However, to support authorities in procuring specialist equipment, as part of my Department's capital programme, Dublin Fire Service has recently received approval to purchase a 42-metre Turn Table Ladder (TTL) and Cork City Fire Service has been approved to purchase a 32-metre Hydraulic Platform.

Copies of both the Report and the Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations are available on my Department’s website at the following links:

Fire Safety Task Force Report:

http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/fire_safety_in_ireland_-_report_of_the_fire_safety_task_force.pdf .

Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations:

http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/fire_safety_in_ireland_-_report_summary_of_conclusions_and_recommendations.pdf .

Barr
Roinn