Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Over recent days. the Minister and his Government have trumpeted and celebrated the country's high employment figures. However, if we look under the bonnet, what workers are really facing is a crisis in their real wages, terms and conditions of employment and how far their wage packets are going. In recent weeks my colleague, Deputy Nash, has raised how the price of basic foodstuffs and essentials is pushing workers to the brink. Senator Marie Sherlock said in recent days that real wages in almost every sector of the economy have gone down for four successive quarters. That is why workers are on the verge of despair. I will focus on two key groups of workers. I am glad the Minister is present, because he has direct responsibility for these groups, namely water service workers and retained firefighters who will begin planned industrial action next week.

A series of concerns are outstanding for water workers and there will be a two-day strike action next week. Despite us being on the brink of that action, there are still no contingency plans coming from local authorities in respect of boil water notices or safety notices and no public information campaigns to go with them. The local authorities are ignoring this campaign for what is such a vital service. No commitment has been given to ensure workers who remain in local authorities will not be at a financial loss. That is a commitment they are waiting on, and they are waiting on the Minister to give it.

Next Tuesday, retained firefighters will also begin a campaign of industrial action. There are more than 2,000 retained firefighters in the country. In the constituency the Minister and I share, we have retained firefighters in Skerries and Balbriggan and they form a core part and pillar of our fire service. They are stalwarts of our community. We know they have to live within 2.5 km of the fire station,. They have to be within 3 km at all times, and all for what? It is all for €700 per month. If the Minister has not done so, I advise him to read the testimony of Niamh Folan, a retained firefighter in Galway, who spoke earlier this week to the Irish Independent. From 13 June, a series of rolling work stoppages will begin and then there will be an all-out strike on Tuesday, 20 June. The Minister brought a recent report on the review or retained firefighters to Cabinet in February and we are now in June. The report makes 13 recommendations and these workers want to know why their concerns are not being addressed and why this vital service continues to be run into the ground.

Will the Minister confirm what is being done to address the concerns of water service workers about potential loss of earnings if they stay with their local authorities? Why are local authorities not publishing and presenting contingency plans for the planned days of action? What is being done now to improve recruitment and retention of retained firefighters up and down the country to ensure the service is not only sustained, but flourishes and remains able to serve communities in the years to come?

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