Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 April 2021
164. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has reviewed the recommendations of a report (details supplied); his plans to implement the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18066/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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).
The Farrell Grant Sparks (FGS) Report referred to by the Deputy was published in January 2002 and it represented a comprehensive review of fire services and fire safety in Ireland at that time.
It identified a number of areas where fire services and the overall approach to fire safety could be improved and was an important landmark in the development of fire services in Ireland. Implementation of its recommendations contributed towards a re-orientation and re-shaping of local authority fire services, with a systemic approach to fire risk management, including a much greater emphasis on Community Fire Safety, together with the focus on incident response.
As the recommendations of the FGS Report were implemented through the Fire Services Change Programme (2005 - 2007) there has been significant development of fire services in Ireland across a wide spectrum of areas. The National Incident Command System was established and Standard Operating Guidance to support safe and effective operations were developed and introduced across all fire services.
The most significant outcome, which is attributed generally to the Community Fire Safety approach, is the decline in the rate of fire-related fatalities which, averaged over three years, now stands at four deaths per million of population, placing Ireland in the league of most fire safe countries. We cannot be complacent, however, and there are significant ongoing fire safety programmes as well as investment in and development of infrastructure including fire stations, the appliance fleet, equipment and training.
After the successful Fire Services Change Programme, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) was established in my Department in 2009 to give effect to the recommendations in the FGS Report relating to the role of national government in supporting local authority fire services.
This NDFEM structure has proved to be very effective, and the close collaboration between my Department and local authority fire services has been central to the development of effective emergency management response to a range of severe weather and flooding emergencies since 2009. Likewise national fire safety campaigns have been carried out successfully in the aftermath of tragic fires.
The NDFEM carried out a further significant review of fire services and fire safety in Ireland in 2012 and published the policy document "Keeping Communities Safe" in 2013. This sets out an approach a to fire safety cross a number of areas, including risk management; fire safety; service response; dealing with large scale incidents; inter-agency work; major emergency management; quality assurance; performance reporting and implementation. The Review is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ec22c-fire-services-policy/
In 2016, an external validation exercise on the implementation by local authorities of "Keeping Communities Safe", concluded that the public are served well by fire services in Ireland. There has been a welcome downward trend in fires and other emergencies requiring fire service assistance over a number of years and a reduction in the incidence of loss of life in fire as noted above.
In conclusion, the FGS Report was a point of major change in the approach to fire safety and fire services in Ireland and the developments arising from the implementation of its recommendations have made Ireland a safer country.
