1670. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the Fire Services Bill; when this Bill will progress to the next stage. [56286/26]

The work of local authority fire services is underpinned by the Fire Services Act 1981. This legislation has served the country well, and key indicators such as fatalities from fire per million of population have continued to fall consistently to the point where they are at their lowest for forty years.

Work is currently ongoing to review and consolidate the Act to ensure that the underpinning legislation enables our fire services to remain agile, resilient and adaptable.

The review and consolidation of the Fire Services Act is a complex undertaking that requires consideration of a range of issues affecting multiple sectors. When this work has been completed and the proposed legislative measures are considered appropriate, balanced and robust, they will be progressed through the necessary stages.

As part of the review, my Department has recently engaged in a Public Consultation relating to the Ease of Escape Regulations 1985. Submissions for this public consultation closed on 24 April 2026, and my Department is currently evaluating feedback and engaging with stakeholders to determine appropriate changes and to bring forward new Ease of Escape Regulations. These regulations remain the immediate legislative priority.