Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I support this motion and extend my sympathy to the family, relatives and friends of the late Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy. I also extend sympathy to their colleagues in the fire service and the people of Bray.

People working in the security forces — fire services, the Garda or Army — are too often taken for granted. These personnel enter into dangerous situations and we must always remember they are someone's son, mother or daughter.

The families and colleagues of these men, as well as the people of Bray, want more than kind words on this occasion. These men were well trained and professional in their work. Over a number of years we have prevaricated over the establishment of a fire authority recommended in the Farrell Grant Sparks report. It is imperative this authority is established to ensure we have a national standard for training and operation. In 2002, the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, stated in reply to a question about implementation of the recommendations of the report that "work to this end is continuing".

We want a full-time service for Bray and similar towns around the country. That is not too much to ask. Such action is in the control of Wicklow County Council and I urge that body to provide such a service. The Government can establish the fire authority.

There should be an independent investigation of this affair apart from the current three. The Garda will investigate this incident with regard to criminality, the Health and Safety Authority will probably consider the safety system in work and it is unfair to even ask Wicklow County Council to examine the incident because they are the employers of those in the fire service.

Section 16 of the Fire Services Act 1981 gives the Minister the power to hold a sworn public inquiry and I call on the Minister, Deputy Gormley, to do this rather than wait for the outcome of reports which could take several months and will not establish the exact detail. The least we owe the families, the fire services and the public is to establish exactly what happened. The Minister has the power to do so under current legislation. I call on him or a spokesperson to commit to this before 8.30 p.m. because it is an easy task.

In this country the Garda Síochána has a Scott medal for bravery and the military has distinguished service medals. The fire services only come under general auspices of the Bravery Act of the 1940s. It is time we considered this matter. The last fireman to die on duty in Wicklow was Paddy Dooley in 1970, who died in a well. The only recognition he received was from authorities in Scotland. I call on the Government to support this motion.

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