Dáil debates

Thursday, 8 March 2012

5:00 pm

Photo of Patrick NultyPatrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will urgently review the decision to disband the recruitment panel for Dublin Fire Brigade; if the panel will be re-instated and utilised to recruit further Dublin Fire Brigade staff members, in view of the pressing need for vacancies to be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12927/12]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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There is an ongoing moratorium in the public service which was introduced as an emergency measure in response to the financial crisis. Under the terms of the moratorium all local authority staffing requests must be sanctioned by my Department.

In accordance with section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is a matter for each local authority, in the first instance, to ensure that the reduction in staff numbers is managed in order that the appropriate service level is maintained. Section 10 of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 set out the functions of a fire authority, which include the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of premises and, of course, its fire fighting role.

My Department works very closely with local authorities to ensure that critical posts are filled while overall numbers are reduced having due regard to the continued delivery of key services and the need for further reduction in overall staffing levels and expenditure in the local government sector. Dublin City Council's overall staff numbers have reduced from 7,326.15 whole time equivalents in June 2008 to 6,072.35 whole time equivalents in December 2011, a reduction of 17%. In the same period the number of full time firefighters employed increased from 825 whole time equivalents to 874 whole time equivalents.

I understand that the position in regard to staffing in Dublin Fire Brigade is kept under constant review by Dublin City Council. The panel referred to by the Deputy, which was in place since 2007, expired in December 2011.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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As Deputy Nulty is not present, I will not delay-----

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I will take it.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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-----because there are Deputies waiting for their questions, including Deputy Ellis.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I understand that but I have-----

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are no rights. The Deputy's question is not grouped with Question No. 8.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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It is not but I want to ask the Minister about the panel which was in place and which expired in December 2011. People were on the panel for years and have been excluded from it while Dublin City Council has sought to fill posts from within its workforce.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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What is the Deputy's question?

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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If there are posts available the staff in Dublin City Council are not sufficiently skilled to fill them. This is a specific skill and one does not find fire brigade members within a local authority. They are specialist people. This is the wrong way to go.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy please put his question to the Minister?

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I am putting the question. It has also been a terrible blow to those who have been on the panel for many years.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy please put his question?

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has indicated that he can intervene in certain circumstances.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is Question Time.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Will he intervene if the staff numbers fall to a drastically low level, which is beginning to happen?

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I do not know how the Deputy can square the last statement he made that the number of staff in Dublin fire services is reducing, when in fact the number has increased by 50, from 824 whole time equivalents to 874 whole time equivalents. How can the Deputy say the number has been reduced? Those are the figures.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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People are retiring.

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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They are whole time equivalents. I will not intervene at a time when we are reducing the number of staff in local authorities generally and where the fire service has had its number of whole time equivalents increased. This is an indication of the priority we give to the people of Dublin in respect of the fire service.

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister not think it is unfair to the people who were on the panel?