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

I thank the Minister of State for the answer. It does not address the underlying chaos and the crisis within the fire service. We may end up having to rely on the Defence Forces, as we have on other occasions, if there is a major incident or incidents. Sometimes they do not happen alone. There could be a major car crash in one of the motorways. The Minister of State should not forget that most of the Dublin fire stations also service Kildare, Wicklow and the neighbouring counties if they cannot address a problem.

As my colleague noted, the recruitment is part of the problem but there is nothing to prevent the running of two classes simultaneously, as has happened in the past. I urge the Minister of State to consider starting the predicted February programme immediately. At present, the recruitment is replacing only those who are retiring, rather than plugging the gaps and ensuring the service grows as the city grows, not just in terms of population but also in terms of height.

There are several areas where there is absolutely no fire cover of the kind required. Where is the Adamstown fire station, for instance? Where is the appropriate cover for the likes of Blanchardstown and Tallaght?

See this speech in context