1900. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the proposed new Cork City fire station in Curraheen, for which €13 million in capital funding was announced under the fire services capital programme; to confirm the proposed timeline for the project, including the anticipated dates for site acquisition, planning, procurement and commencement of construction; to indicate the expected completion and operational dates for the new station; and to confirm the plans for the former Ballincollig fire station to be redeveloped as a fire service training centre. [59225/26]

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 Acts, 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 equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

Project consideration stages from a Department perspective include submission of preliminary and detailed appraisals; submission of design brief; selection of a site; application for approval in principle; appointment of design consultants; submission of a preliminary design; planning application; submission of a preliminary cost plan, detailed design and cost plans; and tender process and construction stages - each step subject to approval from my Department.

In April 2026, I announced the Fire Services Capital Programme for the period 2026-2030, with a funding allocation of €328.5m. 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.

In June 2025 Cork City Council published an updated strategic review report which made recommendations of a three phased approach to modernising fire services aligning with the growth of Cork city and its evolving risk profile. Included within the first phase of recommended development is a new full-time station in the south-western suburbs, preferably adjacent to the N40 South Ring Road.

Cork City Council has identified a strategically placed site at Curraheen, that is in council ownership, for the development of a new wholetime fire station. That project has been prioritised for funding under the Fire Services Capital programme 2026 - 2030. I understand Cork City Council is advancing this project and is currently undertaking site investigation works and progressing design brief documents with an expectation of advancing the proposed new fire station quickly through the project lifecycle to delivery.

In March 2026, Cork City Fire Service was approved to proceed to detailed design and cost plan stage for the first phase of development works at the Ballincollig service delivery centre to include the provision of additional storage for vehicles and equipment to support new capacities in the areas of Urban Search and Rescue and High Capacity Pumping and to provide the site with an appropriate training tower.

My Department will continue to work closely with Cork City Council to progress their identified priority infrastructural projects during the lifetime of the fire service Capital programme 2026 - 2030, within the context of the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide for capital funding.