Written answer
Fire Service
271. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline all proposals received from Donegal County Council requesting support from the Fire Services capital programme in each year from 2014 to date; the date the proposal was made; the description of the proposal; the date the proposal was considered and the decision arrived at, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38821/24]
Comment on this
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. 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 the period 2014 to date, in excess of €4 million in grant assistance funding from the Fire Service Capital programme has been approved for the proposed extension to Letterkenny Fire station, appliances and equipment for Donegal County Council. The specific details requested are outlined in the table below.
In July 2022, representatives of Donegal County Council and the Donegal Municipal district met with officials of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) from my Department regarding plans for Ballyshannon and Bundoran Fire stations. At that meeting the NDFEM officials outlined the application process including the provision of a business case, in order that an assessment might be made under the Public Spending Code rules set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform for the provision of funding allocation.Once a business case is received by my Department, it can be evaluated and further considered in the context of the funding available under the existing Capital Programme.
Infrastructure
Equipment & Appliances