Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

As with all other speakers, I offer sympathy to the Murray and O'Shaughnessy families, as well as to the colleagues of the men, some of whom are probably in the Gallery this evening.

I commend the Labour Party on bringing this motion forward but I am disappointed the Government has decided to divide the House on it. The motion proposed by the Labour Party appears to be deliberately written in a manner making it easy for the Government to support it. It is neither divisive nor political, nor is it asking for anything outrageous. It seeks implementation of the key findings of a report commissioned by the Government in 2002 and is deliberately ambiguous in asking for a full-time fire service for areas with high populations or where the population has grown dramatically in a relatively short space of time.

The Government has chosen to make a long amendment, which states very little, although it of course offers sympathy. I would have thought that, considering the background to this motion and debate, it would have been an ideal opportunity for us as political parties and politicians in this House to accept a perfectly reasonable Opposition Private Members' motion for a change.

My main argument is that we must recognise those working in the fire services, whether they are fighting fires or cutting corpses from crashed cars. These people are heroes in many ways, working 24 hours a day depending on what time they are called. The least we can do is ensure they receive top-class training and equipment in order to minimise the chances of losing their own lives or being severely injured in the course of duty. We are not doing that at present.

A fire-fighter from my constituency, whom I know well, telephoned me today and stated that the current fire appliance, as he calls it — we would term it a fire engine — at his station is over ten years old. It was purchased from the UK where it had been decommissioned. We are, therefore, buying equipment that has been rejected by fire services in England, transporting it to Ireland and expecting our part-time fire-fighters to use it in the line of duty. That is not acceptable and the system needs to be changed.

Unfortunately, the senior Minister is not present. I appeal to those present to consider the motion tabled by the Labour Party and, in a gesture of solidarity, to accept it.

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