Lack of new station in Cork city now ‘an issue of public safety’

Pubic representatives are appealing for immediate action to address the lack of fire service coverage in the south-west of Cork City.

It comes as the 2025 Fire Cover Review highlighted the urgent need for a new full-time fire station to be located between Ballincollig and Bishopstown, citing a growing population and delays in emergency response times.

Ahead of a motion on the topic due to be discussed at council’s community, culture and placemaking committee in September, Labour councillor for the South West ward, Ciara O’Connor, said: “This is now an issue of public safety.

“Entire communities in the south-west of Cork — including Bishopstown, Wilton, Ballincollig, and beyond — are without reliable fire cover. The Crowe Report made it clear that a new station in this area is a top priority. We need urgent progress, not more delays.”

Her motion includes a call for expedited delivery of the new fire station, immediate assessment of the potential to reopen Ballincollig Fire Station on an interim basis, updates from the chief executive on fire cover evaluation and the area risk categorisation (ARC) model, dedicated funding in the 2025-2027 capital programme, and early engagement with the department to secure co-funding.

Eoghan Kenny, Labour Party TD for Cork North Central, which includes Ballincollig, said: “For far too long the people and village of Ballincollig have been forgotten about when it comes to public services.

“I am calling on Cork City Council and the department to expedite the matter, as it is a matter of urgency. We cannot leave a large part of our city and suburban areas without adequate public safety measures.”

It comes as Sinn Féin councillor Joe Lynch asked at the last council meeting when a funding application will be submitted for the implementation of the Phase 1 recommendations of the Cork City fire cover review, and for a timeline for the delivery of the new fire station.

The council’s director of emergency management, David Joyce, said: “Work has commenced on the identification of a suitable site for the new Southwest Fire Station. Once a location has been assessed as suitable, a formal funding application will be made to the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. As per the dates contained within the Crowe Fire Cover Review, the timeline for the implementation of phase 1 recommendations is one to three years with these timelines being dependent on the required funding being secured.”

Mr Lynch told The Echo: 

“The written response I received repeated the timeframe for the implementation of the phase 1 recommendations in the recently published fire cover review. By way of supplementary question, I asked specifically when a site for the new fire station to serve the south-west of the city will be identified. I await that info.

“The review’s recommendations were quite clear about the approximate location of the station, but until a specific site is identified, funding can’t be drawn down from central Government etc, so getting the site pinned down is the key to getting things moving.”

A council spokesperson stated that the report highlights the need for “a new full-time fire station in the south-west of the city (located between Curaheen and Ballincollig), in addition to our existing stations at Anglesea Street and Ballyvolane”.

They said: “Following the completion of this fire cover review, a funding application will be submitted to the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management for the implementation of the Phase 1 recommendations over the next three years.”