John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

acknowledges that: — Retained Firefighters provide an invaluable service to their communities;

— the role of our emergency front line defenders, including Retained Firefighters, involves considerable personal sacrifice; and

— increased capital investment, new stations and equipment is meaningless if there is not an adequate number of firefighters to staff these stations; recognises that: — the recruitment and retention level of Retained Firefighters is at crisis level;

— due to current staffing shortages, the demands being placed upon current members of retained fire services are unsustainable;

— the ongoing failure to address the problems of retained fire services is putting the health and safety of both its members and the public in danger; and

— the current model of management of Retained Firefighters in Ireland is not fit for purpose; notes that: — a recent survey carried out by Coyne Research for the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage revealed that:

— the current crisis in retention and recruitment is forcing Retained Firefighters to work extra hours to make up for staffing shortages, where they forgo time off to spend with family, which is not a role conducive to family life and the retainer they receive does not come close to compensating them for the sacrifices that they make;

— the current conditions offer little incentive for new recruits to the retained fire service, and it is seen by many as a thankless role with little or no personal benefit;

— some 60 per cent of Retained Firefighters intend to leave the service in the near future, many within the next year; and

— the strain of being on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in understaffed fire stations, with little hope of promotion, is having a significant impact on morale, and many highly trained, highly motivated individuals, who love the fire service and are committed to serving their communities, are being forced out of the job;

— the impact of the continuing loss of experience is devastating to both the retained fire service, and the communities which they serve; and

— responsibility for the current crisis in recruitment and retention of Retained Firefighters ultimately lies with Government policy, and not local authorities, and it is ultimately the responsibility of Government to resolve the crisis in retained fire services; condemns: — the lack of political leadership from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien TD, to resolve the issues which have led to the retention and recruitment crisis in retained fire services;

— the failure of the Government to meaningfully engage with representative bodies acting on behalf of Retained Firefighters, which has forced the National Retained Firefighters Association to ballot its members for industrial action; and

— the delay in publishing the review of the model of local authority "retained" fire services delivery which commenced in May 2021, and was reported by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to be at an early drafting stage in February of this year; mandates the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to urgently engage with representative bodies acting on behalf of the Retained Firefighters; and

calls on the Government to set up a cross-party Oireachtas Joint Committee to: — conduct a full and independent review of how the national fire service is delivered across the State;

— sit for a set period of four months;

— undertake a wide consultation of witnesses and key stakeholders to examine pay, conditions, and management structures of retained fire services; and

— bring forward a report on their key recommendations.

It is good to see the Ceann Comhairle back in the Chamber. It is my duty to bring forward a motion to initiate a process that will begin the work of resolving the very serious issues central to the crisis at the heart of the retained fire service. We need to be very clear: the retained fire service is in crisis and has been for a very long time. The recruitment and retention crisis is fast approaching a critical point from which it may be unable to recover.

In 2005, subofficer Brian Murray led a walk out from Bray fire station out of concern over the condition of the retained fire service. He told me that someone would die unless the very serious issues in the service were addressed. Within two years, subofficer Murray and his colleague Mark O'Shaughnessy were killed while tackling a blaze. Some members of their families are here in the Public Gallery, as are many members of the retained service. I have no doubt that the Gallery would have been absolutely packed with retained firefighters were it not for the challenge of getting time off. The deaths of Mark and Brian were caused by the systematic failures in a service that simply is not fit for purpose.

Firefighters say that, 15 years after Brian's and Mark's deaths, conditions are worse. While the Minister might point to investment in new fire stations and equipment, which is welcome, it is meaningless without the personnel to staff the fire stations and man the tenders. Situations continue to arise on the Minister's watch where fire services are simply unable to respond to emergencies due to a shortage of personnel. Many one-pump stations are supposed to have crews of nine. They are operating with 50% of the establishment figures with four or five personnel. This not only puts their safety at risk but also that of the public. In my hometown, Bray, for example, the fire station is supposed to be a two-pump station with 15 firefighters. It currently only has nine. It has not been able to operate as a two-pump station for at least the past five years. That is the case in many areas throughout the State. In other cases, fire stations have been forced off the run due to a shortage of personnel.

The service was designed for the 1950s and is simply not fit for purpose in the 21st century. Throughout the State, retained firefighters are in the process of balloting for industrial or strike action. They feel forced into doing so as a result of the Government's failure to engage or make any meaningful attempt to deal with the recruitment and retention crisis. In many areas that have already balloted the results have been an overwhelming 97% in support of taking industrial or strike action. They are being forced to do that simply because of their concerns not only for their own safety but also for the safety of the public.

I urge the Minister to take heed. This crisis will not go away. It is very real and dangerous and has the potential to impact on citizens throughout the State, if they ever find themselves unlucky enough to need the services of the retained fire service. The day has come where they are unable to answer the call because the Government has failed them.

A recent survey of serving retained firefighters indicated that 60% intend to retire or resign in the next 18 months or two years. The retained fire service will not recover from such a loss of experienced personnel. No organisation could survive that, least of all one which battles life and death situations every day.

I am asking Members, particularly those of the Government parties, to put aside party differences and support this motion. It will allow a cross-party committee to hear from key witnesses and stakeholders, to listen to the experts on the issues crippling the service, and to bring forward key recommendations for the Government to act on. It will complement any other measures being undertaken by the Government or other bodies. If we want a fit-for-purpose emergency retained fire service, things must change immediately. Let us listen to the firefighters and their motion. Let us pass their motion and work together to put in place a retained fire service that is fit for purpose and is fit for the 21st century.

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