Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
602. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the €61 million capital allocation towards the fire service capital programme 2021-2025, the amount that has been spent in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [40681/23]
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 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 frontline 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
The detail of the fire service capital programme expenditure is set out in the table below.
C.4 - Fire and Emergency Services
|
Year |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (To 18 September) |
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
Actual Spend |
7.75 |
22.636 |
6.73 |
