The Irish Government has announced €5.9 million in Shared Island funding to strengthen cross-border fire service cooperation and emergency management. Minister James Browne welcomed the investment, which will support collaboration between Ireland’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. The funding aims to improve preparedness, crisis response, and resilience across both jurisdictions, building on existing cooperation through the Cross Border Emergency Management Group.
A major portion of the funding will go towards enhancing urban search and rescue capabilities and high-capacity pumping resources. Four new fully equipped USAR training rigs will be installed in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Laois, while the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service will receive additional training equipment at its Learning and Development Centre in Cookstown. Expanded classroom facilities will also be developed in Dublin, and Ireland will procure its first-ever flood containment module to protect critical infrastructure during severe flooding.
Minister Browne highlighted that these investments are essential for strengthening responses to large-scale emergencies, particularly flood events. The new flood containment module will include high-capacity pumps and barriers to safeguard transport hubs, energy networks, and other vital assets, helping reduce long-term recovery costs.
The announcement builds on significant previous investment, including €50 million spent by the Northern Ireland Executive on the state-of-the-art training centre in Cookstown. Further cross-border funding has been secured through the PEACEPLUS Programme, with over €2 million allocated to develop a shared fire and rescue interoperability framework. This initiative will support joint training, trainer accreditation, and stronger mutual aid agreements.
Cross-border emergency collaboration is already well established through the Cross Border Emergency Management Group, which brings together agencies from both sides of the border to improve joint planning, information sharing, and coordinated emergency response. This latest funding marks another important step toward a more resilient and unified emergency management system across the island of Ireland.
