Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Minister is probably aware, a panel was established by the Dublin Fire Brigade in 2007. Thousands of individuals were interviewed and went through standard recruitment procedures and tests. Some 190 people were placed on the panel. In total, the recruitment process cost €300,000. Of the 190 people placed, 83 were formally recruited into the system.

In February 2012, the panel was scrapped. In a letter to one of the recruits who had been on the panel, the fire service executive manager, Mr. Gerry Geraghty, stated that the panel had been scrapped due to the difficult economic circumstances. Mr. Geraghty stated, "The decision to terminate the Panel was not taken lightly and we understand the time and effort put in by applicants. Unfortunately Dublin Fire Brigade, like all public services, have been particularly affected by the economic downturn". As such, the panel was abandoned.

More recently, Dublin City Council management has agreed to fill 53 of the city's 80 outstanding vacancies within the terms of the Croke Park agreement. Undoubtedly, the gaps in the service need to be filled. However, it is astonishing that management has decided to embark on a new external recruitment procedure to fill 28 of the 53 vacancies. Given the fact that €300,000 of public money has already been spent to establish a panel of qualified, able and willing people interested in serving as firefighters, it is baffling that management would take it upon itself to open a new process. I have called on Dublin City Council's management to review this decision, to abandon any notion of another costly recruitment drive and to offer the 28 places to the 100 persons remaining on the old panel.

When the Minister rises, I suspect his reply will be to the effect that this is a matter for Dublin City Council and that he can do nothing about it. Given the amount of public money spent to date, I urge him to play a hands-on role. Capable and qualified recruits have been identified to undertake this important work. In these difficult economic circumstances, to cite Mr. Geraghty, there is no excuse or rationale for Dublin City Council being allowed to spend more taxpayers' money on another recruitment process.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, I do not expect anyone, be that person a Minister or not, to micromanage local authority services. I expect management to do that in every local authority area. The provision of fire services is a matter for Dublin City Council as a fire authority under the Fire Services Act 1981. The Deputy is asking me to interfere on the one hand and, on the other, to devolve power and responsibility so that local authorities can do their business properly.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each county and city manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements. While overall staffing requests are sanctioned by the Department, the issue raised is a matter for Dublin City Council. It has been raised previously and I understand where Deputy McDonald is coming from, but the panel had been in place for four years and was only terminated at the end of last year. That is quite a long time to have a panel. Other people who want the chance to be employed by Dublin City Council as fire officers should expect to have the opportunity to apply for those posts.

Notwithstanding the moratorium that has been in place for some time, Dublin City Council has received sanction to fill 53 posts. However, my Department has not yet received a formal sanction request for the 28 posts to which the Deputy referred. All Dublin City Council requests to date have been sanctioned. Perhaps the Deputy might be able to inquire into this matter in her representations to Dublin City Council.

For operational purposes, there is a sharing of services between a number of fire authorities in Dublin. The Dublin Fire Brigade, staffed by 876 full-time firefighters, provides a fire and emergency response service to some 1.2 million people. While local authority staffing levels have been reducing across the country, the number of Dublin Fire Brigade personnel has been protected.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I suspected the Minister would say that.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy was right.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am not asking him to micromanage anything - far from it. However, I note that the Minister has no problem with wading in as and when it suits him.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Such as when?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In this instance, the Minister does not need to micromanage or investigate anything. He knows the facts. Some €300,000 has already been spent on a recruitment process and a panel was established that, as the Minister rightly pointed out, was in place for many years. Will the Minister intervene and write to, telephone or make a friendly suggestion to the management concerned to the effect that it is not prudent and does not represent a good use of public money to set up an alternative recruitment process? It is that straightforward.

My information is that, of the 53 posts, 28 will be filled by an external recruitment process. I am interested to learn that the Department has not received a formal approach in this regard. The Minister should have a conversation or write a letter to the management concerned.

Bear in mind that those who went through the very rigorous procedure to get on the panel had a legitimate expectation that as and when vacancies arose they would be considered and placed. They have had that expectation dashed. In a two-fold way, the Minister said he cannot stand over, and that they should not stand over, further spending of public moneys and that at a minimum those already on the panel should be given the option to go forward for these positions. This is not about micro-management but about asking the Minister to be a common sense kind of Cabinet Minister.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am sure there will be sufficient recognition of the fact that, notwithstanding the massive reduction in staffing in various local authority services, the staffing levels of the Dublin fire service is protected. In terms of the overall numbers deployed for fire services in Dublin, we are protecting the numbers so that should be considered in this.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is not my question.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am coming to the Deputy's question but she has not acknowledged the fact that we are in a bailout-----

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We could have a very long debate on that issue and on the adequacy of cover.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We are in a recession and in a bailout programme and the Deputy should acknowledge the fact that fire services in Dublin and staffing are being protected. We work very closely with local authorities in regard to the overall numbers. People who were on the panel can apply for these posts, as can others. Four years is long enough to have a panel. I encourage the people who were on the panel originally to apply for these posts.

In the context of a moratorium on public service numbers, Dublin City Council is doing exceptionally well to get sanction for further numbers in respect of a very important service, namely, the fire service.