Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I, too, thank my colleagues, Deputies Ciarán Lynch, Gilmore and McManus, for tabling this motion. It is an opportunity for us to speak on a very important matter but, unfortunately, the debate is tinged with great sadness due to the deaths of two heroic firemen in Bray. Like Deputy Penrose, I was taken by Mrs. Murray's knowledge of the fire service and the need for improvements and changes when she spoke on almost all the news stations and some of the television stations. It was obvious that knowledge was not learned overnight but in conversation with her late husband in the Murray household over a long time. It was amazing to hear this woman make a simple plea to the Government on what was wrong and what would rectify the situation.

This reminds me of when I was 14 years of age, which was neither today nor yesterday, when something similar happened in regard to the ambulance service in Kildare. There was a very poor ambulance service at that time and there was a tragedy in which three people were killed. Suddenly the Government, the local authority and everyone was interested in it, which brought about a momentum to make changes. Unfortunately, the same circumstances apply in this case.

We regularly see this Government, which is in its third term in office, create an authority to stymie debate in this House. This is another instance in which it is using the same mechanism but in a different format. It is saying the fire service does not come under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government but under that of local authorities and that we must fight for this in our own areas. That is where a big mistake is being made. Once again the Government is using flippant words to prevent the establishment of a national fire authority that would benefit communities which need a fire service. It is time the Minister stood up and was counted. This is another area in which Fianna Fáil has decided to protect funding. It does not want to increase funding to the fire service to provide a much needed service which will become even greater as we move forward.

Demographics show that many towns and cities are overcrowded with cars and vehicles which creates a problem for retained fire-fighters. As Deputy Stagg rightly said, we are very proud of that service in County Kildare because it has never let us down, but it is under constant pressure due to the demographics of towns and villages. We are looking more and more towards a full-time service. In many cases, the difference between life and death is minutes. The same is the case with the ambulance service. Those vital first five or six minutes make all the difference. The fire station is at the edge of my town and many of the retained fire-fighters work in the town. It is difficult for them to get through the town to the fire station and those minutes mean so much to so many.

Tonight represents a landmark for the Green Party. It is a landmark for Deputy Gormley, as Minister, because it presents him with an opportunity to say something needs to be done and that his party will lead the charge and not allow Fianna Fáil to decide against putting a national authority in place.

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