Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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421. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide details for all capital plans for the development of fire services in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43423/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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422. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the Portumna fire station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43415/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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431. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the fire services earmarked for development over the next five years in County Galway; the estimated funding associated with each planned development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42639/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 431 together.

The 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 Act 1981 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.

In December 2020, I announced the Fire Services Capital Programme for the period 2021-2025, with a funding allocation of €61m. Following extensive engagement with fire authorities, a number of proposals for station works etc. were received. The proposals were evaluated and prioritised on the basis of the:

Area Risk Categorisation of the fire station (population, fire risks, etc.);

established Health and Safety needs;

state of development of the project;

value for money offered by the proposal; and

the totality of requests from all authorities.

The 2021 - 2025 Programme was projected to see six new fire stations built, continued support for the construction of a further 12 new fire stations, nine fire station refurbishments as well as the allocation of 35 new fire appliances. Continued investment in the fire appliance fleet has been identified as a key national priority; that is why, in October 2023, I announced the allocation of an additional 40 new fire appliances at a cost of €20.8m.

My Department has not received a proposal from Galway County Council for a fire station project for Portumna. Any future capital programme will have regard to Galway County Council’s priorities and the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide for funding in considering any proposal.

Two fire stations, Athenry and Loughrea, prioritised by Galway County Council, have been included in the 2021 – 2025 Capital programme.

Athenry fire station received approval to accept a tender for construction with a projected build cost of €2.48 million in November 2022. I understand construction of this project is now complete with an expected official opening ceremony to take place in November 2024.

In October 2021, Galway County Council received approval to proceed to invite tenders to appoint a design team and progress to full design and cost plan stage for a new fire station at Loughrea at an indicative build cost projected - at that time - of €1.26 million. I understand the Council is currently at planning stage of this project.

In the lifetime of the 2021 – 2025 Fire Services Capital Programme, to date Galway Fire Service has received €1.233 million in capital funding to support the purchase of front-line appliances and equipment including funding for the allocation of a new Class B fire tender under the 2021 – 2023 Office of Government Procurement (OGP) framework.

Galway Fire Service has also received funding approval for approximately €2.2 million to support the planned purchase of appliances and equipment as detailed below, including a new 42m aerial appliance and a further allocation of two new Class B fire tenders under the 2023 – 2025 OGP Framework. My Department awaits claims for payment from Galway County Council in this regard.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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423. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the necessity for BA Communications for fire fighters to communicate with each other over radio in a fire emergency; when this essential equipment will be rolled out through Dublin Fire Brigade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42423/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The 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 & 2003.

My Department supports fire authorities through general policy-setting and preparing legislation, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects, appliances and equipment.

In February 2024, my Department approved a tender competition for the national procurement of handheld radios, with Dublin City Council acting as the lead contracting authority. Each local authority fire service is named in the tender document to allow them to draw down from it should they so wish.

I understand that, following an extensive procurement process, a tender competition was recently completed with a preferred supplier selected.

Dublin City Council, as the lead contracting authority, is managing this procurement process and it will be a matter for the Dublin City Councils and all local authorities to manage their own draw downs from the framework to meet their needs.