Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is not often I am lost for words but I am a bit lost for words now. I know this is difficult for the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I can see it in his face and in his uncomfortable shifting around in his seat. I do not doubt this discussion makes him uncomfortable. Some of our front-line workers contacted me today, as did their partners, all of them in tears that they are out on strike. They are devoted to their work. It is life-saving work. They are on call 24-7. I am on call 24-7 as a politician and I am well paid for it. I deserve what I get because I asked for it. I stood up to be elected as a representative. When firefighters are called out of their bed, day or night, they do not know what they are facing. They sometimes encounter relatives who have to be cut down.

In his speech, the Minister said the Government will not reduce firefighters' retainer. He appeared in New Ross some time ago to open the new fire station. He gave a commitment to the fire service there. I have visited the firefighters and spoken to them on several occasions. The Minister committed to having this debacle sorted by Christmas 2022. At some level, I am sure he believes what he is saying. I do not think he is a bluffer. At least I do not think he is the kind of bluffer who would give people false hope, even if his colleagues in the Fianna Fáil Party did ring around every fire service this morning in which workers are on strike to tell them the Minister was going to come in with positive news. What amazes me about the news is that the Government is not known for solving problems. It is known as a Government that creates problems and lets them get to crisis point. With no pun intended, the Government is known for doing a little firefighting of its own because it believes people only notice when an issue is at crisis point. Then it gets solved and that is the vote getter. The Government's sound bite can then be, "We solved that crisis".

This is a crisis that puts the country at risk. The Minister heard what Deputy Bríd Smith said. The firefighters are saying they will close our airports. I do not believe they are bluffing. Nobody could live on the salary of a retained firefighter with the cost-of-living crisis we face today. Is the Government for real? Every front-line member of the Government appeared at Wexford General Hospital when it went up in smoke. They could not get there quickly enough to endorse the fire service and tell its members they were brilliant. All the talk was of "our fire service this" and "our fire service that". Where are those Government members today? They should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting what they believed to be politically expedient and then just sitting back and coming out with tripe. The Minister's statement is tripe. It is nothing firefighters have not heard before.

Deputy Stanley pointed out that the three leaders of the parties currently in government gave Robert Watt, an already overpaid Secretary General, a salary increase of €80,000. That was done at the stroke of a pen. They did not ask anybody if they should do it. They refused to appear before the Committee of Public Accounts to discuss it. They refused even to allow the committee to question the decision until a request was made in that regard. Even after that, there were still no answers. I am not surprised the Minister is shifting around uncomfortably in his seat. I would be damned uncomfortable too if I had put people out, at risk to their own life and limb and on call 24-7, on a retainer of a measly €8,000 or €8,500 a year, while giving an increase of €80,000 to a senior civil servant who is responsible for the longest waiting lists in the health service in the history of the State. That makes me uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable that I am well paid. There is no risk to life or limb in my job.

I just cannot understand why this issue has not been resolved. Is it because only 2,000 people are involved? Is it not a big enough vote getter? The Minister hides behind wage and salary agreements. Will he stand up like a man and tell us, or get his leader to tell us, why a senior civil servant who was already well paid got an increase of €80,000? Will he just explain it and give us the thinking behind it? I would have thought the Secretary General was subject to a salary agreement as well. Shame on the Minister.

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