Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely will. It is very important that we do. Another important point is related to Covid-19. The pandemic has presented challenges to the fire services in the delivery of services. Our Department has monitored regular reports from the fire services on the impact of the pandemic on staffing levels and business continuity. In recent weeks, in line with trends among the general population, fire services have experienced heightened disruptions due to the transmissibility of Covid-19, the Omicron variant, and close contact-related staff absences. This will be temporary of course. The fire services' management have employed a range of tools to limit the disruption to the service. Following a Government mandate in late December 2021 authorising the use of voluntary derogation exemption, exempting fire services staff from Covid-19 close contact isolation requirements under strict conditions, our Department built the derogation into a broader suite of updated guidance and contingency measures for fire service management. This was to ensure the ongoing provision of fire services amid the highest rates of pandemic infection since the onset of the pandemic.

Fire services would also look to assist other emergency services when called upon. However, there currently exists no formal arrangements between the fire services, the HSE, and the National Ambulance Service to provide a first response served nationally, and fire services under no statutory responsibility to provide those services on behalf of another service.

Deputy Cairns has, nonetheless, raised an important issue. As the Deputy has outlined, the examples in Kerry and Donegal should be given consideration. The HSE and the National Ambulance Service were in correspondence with the Chief Fire Officers Association to explore the willingness and the ability of the retained firefighters service to offer support to the National Ambulance Service during November 2021, so there is a precedent there. The Deputy has raised an important issue that I will take back to the relevant Ministers.

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