Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Brady, on his tireless advocacy on behalf of all fire service workers, both retained and otherwise. I welcome the men and women of the retained fire service. Everybody here today will commend their bravery. Every time they go out on a call, they put their lives or health at risk. They are not just involved in firefighting as they are also involved in dealing with cardiac arrests, vehicle crashes, river rescues, chemical spills and environmental protection issues.

Earlier today, I took a few minutes to ask the firefighters what they want us to impress upon the Minister on the floor of the House today. They stated very clearly that the service is in crisis and that the 24-hour callout service for 365 days per year is simply broken and must be changed. They said that unless they are adequately paid and their rosters reflect the reality of their working times, they will not only be unable to retain staff but also will be unable to recruit. Therefore, there is urgency that I do not believe anybody could underestimate.

The firefighters also made it very clear that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit young people because of the cost of childcare and the cost of living. They are keen to have additional training, particularly to ensure they will be able to do the very best job for their communities and themselves.

I do not believe a single retained firefighter who voted for industrial action wants to take that action. They want the Minister to act and ensure they do not have to take the action they are balloting for. All I ask the Minister to do today is support this motion. He should support the very sensible propositions of Deputy Brady. He should also support the men and women in the Visitors Gallery and ensure they get the right pay and terms and conditions and communities get the service they rightly deserve.

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