Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The retained fire service carries out an invaluable service in all communities right across the State. The work its members undertake involves a significant sacrifice, yet their pay and working conditions do not match the significant time, effort and sacrifice involved. Therefore, it is little wonder that the service is haemorrhaging firefighters. The loss of such dedicated, highly trained and experienced personnel represents a huge loss to the service and has to be addressed. The result of the loss of personnel is that the remaining firefighters are put under extreme pressure. This is compounded by recruitment and retention problems. We are seeing this in every local authority right across the State.

A recent study conducted by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage laid bare the difficulties facing the service. Almost 60% of its members said they intend to leave it in the near future. That represents a crisis. If this comes to pass, it will mean the collapse of the service within a few short years.

In Drogheda, the largest town in Ireland, retained ranks have not been operating at their full complement since 2016. At present, only six out of ten retained firefighter positions are filled. This is a problem right across County Louth. When we look at the terms and conditions of the workers, it becomes clear to us why this has arisen. The firefighters work six 24-hour shifts in a row, with only two days off. That is 144 hours per week, during which they have to be able to respond to their station within five minutes. As Drogheda, which is but one example, grows in size and the housing crisis worsens, this will become increasingly untenable and totally unrealistic. Some firefighters are finding it impossible to adhere to the turnout time, which in turn affects their pay. I know a firefighter who sits in his car in a car park all day when he is on call to be able to respond on time.

Other issues affecting retention include insufficient rest periods between shifts and pay that does not reflect the work carried out by the firefighters. The Government needs to meet representatives of the service. Enough is enough at this stage. We also need a thorough review of the entire service across the State to address the issues I have mentioned. If the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage were tasked with the review, we could have the report by early spring. This would allow for real reform sooner rather than later. The time for the Government to act is now.

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