Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
520. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if fire-service capabilities have been evaluated in respect of large-scale battery-storage fires; if national guidance exists regarding the extinguishing, containment, and post-incident environmental management of such fires; and if he will provide reports commissioned by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management on this matter. [65620/25]
View answer589. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied that the Fire Service has adequate training, equipment, and response capability for large-scale BESS incidents; and if capability-gap reviews can be published. [66758/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 589 together.
My Department, through the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), supports fire authorities by establishing fire service policy, setting national standards for fire safety and fire service provision, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. 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.
The NDFEM has developed a suite of Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) addressing many areas of fire safety. SOG 5.1 ‘Incidents Involving Electricity’ examines the hazards, risks and controls that relate to incidents that involve electricity. A SOG looking at new technologies has now been commenced following a recent meeting of the SOGs project team with the final version targeted to be released in Q3 of 2026. The core training that operational personnel receive through national courses and locally adopted SOGs underpins a risk based approach to safe working at incidents involving Electricity.
Fire Services operate an Incident Command System with risk management protocols and specialised equipment when dealing with incidents involving electricity, ensuring the safety of firefighters working in such hazardous conditions. Firefighters are highly trained in effective and safe firefighting operations.
