Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling the motion which allows us the opportunity to ask the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who was here before him, to urgently address many of the core concerns of retained firefighters. Retained firefighters need a fixed adequate income. The current retainer varies from about €9,000 per annum going up to a maximum of about €11,000. While there are opportunities to earn more on foot of callouts and training, the total salary is completely inadequate. Nobody could live on it and crucially nobody could get a mortgage on it.

The other major issue is that they need structured time off. They cannot have a 168-hour contract every week which is the situation for many firefighters week in and week out. These kinds of working conditions are unsafe and completely contrary to any kind of balance between life and work. The Government countermotion states that "Retained Firefighters are highly committed front-line responders providing an exceptional service within their communities". I could not have put that better myself, but where is the financial recognition for these highly committed front-line responders? Where is the work-life balance for those who provide exceptional service within their community? I accept that the Government has commissioned a review and the Minister has said implementing the recommendations of the review should commence as soon as possible at national and local level. However, I want to hear that implementing these recommendations will commence and I want to hear a timeline.

Retaining firefighters is becoming increasingly difficult. Over the last two to three years, County Leitrim has lost ten out of 48 firefighters and there has been enormous difficulty in replacing them. It took three rounds of recruitment to find just three replacements. It is the same story in Sligo and until a significantly improved basic wage and structured time off is put in place it will be increasingly difficult to keep experienced firefighters and attract new ones.

There is a real need to provide a community-first responder service where ambulances cannot respond within the required time. Sligo is the only fire service outside Dublin that is training firefighters to PHECC standards but the HSE must engage with and help to resource the fire service to provide this invaluable safety net.

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