1925. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1015 of 18 March 2026 and No. 1763 14 April 2026, (details supplied) whether a document titled or effectively functioning as national guidance on grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) exists; if so, the title, publication or draft date; whether it has been issued to fire authorities, planning authorities or development authorities. [63519/26]

1926. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1736 of 14 April 2026, stating that SOG 5.01a and accompanying training material were due to be issued to Chief Fire Officers before the end of Q2 2026, whether that deadline was met; if not, the reasons for the delay; whether any Chief Fire Officer has received SOG 5.01a or its training material to date; and the revised date by which SOG 5.01a and its training material will be issued to all Chief Fire Officers. [63520/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1925 and 1926 together.

The provision of a fire service within its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover requirements, and the provision of fire station infrastructure, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through the development of national policy, the provision of a central training programme, the issuance of guidance on operational and related matters, and the provision of capital funding for priority infrastructure projects.

The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM) has developed a suite of Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) to support effective firefighting operations. SOG 5.01a has been developed to identify the hazards posed to firefighters by emerging technologies, including photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

SOG 5.01a has not yet been circulated, as the training material to accompany the SOG is currently under development. Given the complex and evolving nature of this subject matter, additional time has been required to ensure that both the guidance and the associated training materials are fully developed.

The SOG and accompanying training materials will be issued to Chief Fire Officers once the development process has been completed. Training by local authorities will commence following the issuance of the SOG and supporting materials.

The reference to "National Guidance on BESS" in the draft SOG 5.01a relates to guidance published by the UK National Fire Chiefs Council in December 2025 entitled Grid Scale Energy Storage Systems Planning: Guidance for Fire and Rescue Services. This reference will be clarified in the final version of the SOG.