Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
205. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can confirm that capital funding will be made available in the 2026 to 2030 National Development Plan to construct a new fire station for the fire services in Rathdowney, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4421/26]
View answer268. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the construction of a new fire station for Rathdowney, County Laois is included in his Department's list of works to upgrade fire stations around the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4420/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 268 together.
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 and 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 December 2020, Minister Darragh O'Brien announced the Fire Services Capital Programme for the period 2021-2025, with a funding allocation of €61m. 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.
At that time Laois County Council had indicated that a new fire station at Stradbally to be their number one priority with the replacement of Rathdowney Fire Station as their second priority going forward. While the Stradbally fire station project was not initially included in my Department's Fire Services Capital Programme 2021 - 2025, all projects in the capital programme may be reassessed on an annual basis to maximise available capital programme funding and priority may be adjusted to bring forward projects offering best value-for-money and to take account of the state of readiness of the projects, based on ongoing engagement with local authorities in respect of prioritisation.
Subsequently following reappraisal, approval in principle for a new fire station at Stradbally was conveyed to the Council in November 2022. The Council has now been approved to tender for the construction phase of the Stradbally Fire Station and I understand the Council are currently evaluating tender submissions.
In December 2024 Laois County Council submitted an updated preliminary appraisal for a proposed new fire station at Rathdowney, noting several issues with the existing station including,
• accessibility of the site for responding firefighters due to its central location on a narrow street within Rathdowney;
• the stations limited size, poor layout; and
• limited welfare facilities, particularly in the context of the increased optimal crewing numbers of fire stations to 12 following the August 2023 WRC agreement with Retained firefighters.
Laois County Council has indicated a new fire station for Rathdowney to be their number one priority project for the Fire Services Capital Programme 2026 – 2030. The Council has secured a new site they regard as ideally situated with regard to the road network and traffic flow while retaining a central location close to the retained crews living and work environments.
My Department will work closely with Laois County Council to progress their identified priority infrastructural projects during the lifetime of the next fire service Capital programme, within the context of the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide for capital funding.
