Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have a supplementary question. If it is the case, as has been alleged to me, that the Dublin Fire Brigade fleet is very significantly substandard relative to the fleets across the rest of Europe, it is very alarming. The firefighters gave me very specific details on the age of fire appliances. They were literally naming the fire appliances and stating how old they were. They said such fire appliances would not be used for front-line service anywhere else in Europe because of the standards applied. They stated many of the fire appliances we are buying are second hand. They are already starting quite far down the road. I was shown video footage of significant defects. Another story concerned a device that rises up and in which a firefighter sits. I do not know the exact technical term. An extra seat had been bolted onto it in an ad hocway. These were very worrying points. I have no doubt about the professionalism of the firefighters. I am amazed by the professionalism, seriousness and commitment of the front-line firefighters. They take their job very seriously and they are saying to me that many of the vehicles are unsafe or not up to standard, and that the general standard of the fleet is way below what one would expect elsewhere. The Deloitte report states there is no competitive tendering in much of the procurement by the Dublin Fire Brigade. It states there is equipment being bought second hand and that there are no paper trails. These are worrying reports.

I call for a full audit of the standard of the Dublin Fire Brigade fleet. That is what needs to happen because the reports are too serious. The firefighters I was talking to told me they contacted everybody and have been in touch with Dublin City Council and so on about their concerns. When they say they are not willing to get into certain vehicles, it must be borne in mind. They told me stories about brakes not working properly because, as Mr. Hogan stated, there are complex hydraulics. These are very significant concerns I wished to raise with Mr. Hogan. A full audit and investigation are needed.