Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I thank Deputy Ciarán Lynch, Deputy Liz McManus and the Labour Party in general for affording me the opportunity to debate this issue, about which the entire country is talking. It goes without saying that we extend our sympathy to the families of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy. A tragedy such as that which befell these two firefighters could happen to any one of our husbands, brothers or relations in the morning.

Someone once said that if something is worth doing, and if it is established in one's head as the right thing to do, it becomes easy. There were gestures of sympathy from the Government side but sympathy will not take us very far on this issue. It is obvious from Mary Murray's many interviews that she is a woman of incredible courage. Sympathy is well and good but she wants action and to ensure that the firefighters in the Visitors Gallery will not be put in the same position as their comrades who died.

We must ask ourselves whether we consider a fire service essential and the answer ought to be "Yes". Would we adopt the attitude to the fire service in respect of the health service or the education system? Would we tell the people in Bray that because their rate base is not big enough to provide for a health service, they cannot have one? Would we tell them that because there is not enough money in the town and its environs to provide primary and secondary schools, they cannot have them? We would not because it would be outrageous and an act of lunacy, yet this is what we are saying about the fire service, which is essential.

The last people we want to see at our doors are the garda and fireman, but when we need them and when they react on time with the equipment necessary to save our lives, they have our undying gratitude. If we consider the fire service essential, as we ought to do, we cannot tell the people of Bray they cannot have it because they cannot afford it. The Government must deal with this issue. If it is a question of money, it must come up trumps. The days of telling people they cannot have a service because they cannot afford it are long gone and the comrades of the two fallen men and their families will not stand by any longer and accept the existing service when they clearly know it is only the endeavours of those involved that have prevented tragedies in the past and will continue to do so in the future. We must step up to the mark.

Inequality of access to services must be prevented. Women in the south have a greater chance of dying of cancer than anybody else because they do not have the same access to services as women in the rest of the country. This is not good enough for us and, in the context of the fire service, it is most definitely not good enough for the people of Bray or the rest of the country.

I call on the Government to recognise its responsibility to ensure the health and safety of the people. If there are areas where the rate base is not sufficiently broad or strong to support essential services, the Government must step in and provide the necessary funding.

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