Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

expresses its deep concern at the death of two fire-fighters during the course of a fire in Bray, County Wicklow on 26 September;

acknowledges the bravery of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy and extends its profound sympathy to the families and colleagues of the two men;

commends the members of the full-time and retained fire service across the country for their sterling work for the community;

supports the call made by their colleagues for an independent investigation into the death of the two fire-fighters; and

regrets the failure of the Government to implement in full the recommendations of the Farrell Grant Sparks Review of Fire Safety and Fire Services in Ireland, submitted to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in January 2002;

calls for

the establishment of a National Authority for Fire and Civil Protection/Emergency Services, one of the key recommendations of the review; and

the establishment of full-time fire services in areas of high population, such as Bray.

I wish to share time with Deputies McManus and Ferris.

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