Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil dóibh siúd a chuir an rún os comhair an Tí anocht, ach go háirithe na fir agus mná Briogáid Dóiteáin Bhaile Átha Cliath, mar thar na blianta, thug siad cuidiú, ní hamháin domsa agus do mo chlann ach do gach uile duine sa chathair seo a bhí i gcruachás agus a tháinig an briogáid dóiteáin chucu agus a thug cabhair cáime dóibh nuair a bhí gá ann, ach go háirithe i mo theanta féin ar an gCarnán nó fiú lasmuigh i dTamhlacht agus Sráid an Phiarsaigh, bhuail mé leo thar na blianta agus bhí siad an-mhaith, an-phroifisiúnta agus bhí an cuma ar an scéal go raibh siad ag caitheamh go maith lena chéile agus nach raibh aon choimhlint eatarthu. Ba mhaith liom a rá thar ceann gnáth lucht Bhaile Átha Cliath go bhfuil éacht á dhéanamh acu agus ba chóir go mbeadh siad an-bhródúil as sin.

Like others have done, I acknowledge the commitment, dedication, bravery and heroism of the members of the Dublin Fire Brigade, and other fire brigades in the State. I acknowledge the work they do, in many cases without proper resources. The Dublin Fire Brigade has a proud history.

There is an adage that if it is not broken, do not fix it. The first document I contributed within Sinn Féin was on the Dublin Fire Brigade in 2006. This is how far back there has been an attempt to undermine the Dublin Fire Brigade. I am aware that there are difficulties and that the model does not fit every aspect or requirement of small island but rather than enhance it and rather than roll out the Dublin Fire Brigade model throughout the State why does the Government want to change it? Why are other cities in other countries looking at the Dublin Fire Brigade model to roll it out? It is because the model works. It fixes people and it saves lives.

In comparison to other public services, the retention levels in the Dublin Fire Brigade are high, which is down to the fact that fire fighters are appreciated by the public. The Government started to undermine the service in recent years, and it looked as though the service was to be picked off bit by bit, to become parts of other services or through privatisation as originally intended with the proposed call-out centres and ambulance services. Luckily that attempt was lost in the courts.

For years I have believed there is a need for a proper roll out of the model, but there is also a need to properly resource the Dublin Fire Brigade. If the Dublin Fire Brigade cannot answer all the calls it is nothing to do with its commitment, it is to do with years of under investment in it. Its members would love to be able to answer each and every call that comes in; that is their focus and their job and it is why they joined the service in this city. It is why they undertook the huge amount of training, which stands to them when they respond to a call out, be it a road traffic accident or a person in difficulty in a house. The Dublin Fire Brigade wants services and ambulances and it wants additional staff, but the brigade has been starved of these resources.

The last piece of the Minister of State's contribution, or what she was trying to get at, exposes the Government's intentions which are to give the National Emergency Operations Centre, NEOC, all the medical call outs rather than enhancing the existing service of the Dublin Fire Brigade. If it is broken in Pearse Street, then fix it, or find another location, but do not take away a service that is used for the benefit of Dublin city dwellers.

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