Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We discussed the situation in relation to retained firefighters on Second Stage in the House. Nationally, there are approximately 2,000 retained firefighters outside our larger cities in which there are typically full-time fire services. Retained firefighters are vitally important to their communities. Typically, these workers provide services in rural and less densely populated areas, but some larger urban centres also have retained firefighter cohorts.

It is estimated that approximately 800 part-time firefighters are also in receipt of a jobseeker's payment. Retained fire fighters are entitled to a jobseeker's payment in respect of days on which they are engaged in fire fighting or training. However, they are required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker's payment of being available for and actively seeking work. If they do not satisfy the conditions, they are not entitled to the jobseeker's payment. Taking into account the important community service retained firefighters provide to so many of our communities, I established a departmental group. Various Members, including Senator Moran, have raised the matter with me on foot of problems arising in the Louth area in relation to decision-making. There is a requirement that a firefighter live within one and a half miles of a fire station. If one was offered work much further away, one could do one or the other but not both. Therefore, people were not satisfying the requirement that they genuinely seek work.

This is a problem I am told goes back to the early 1970s. Given that it has been knocking around for 40 years, I am delighted to be able to introduce an amendment, which I know has the support of all parties in the House. The amendment seeks to exempt retained firefighters from having to satisfy the substantial loss of employment, or subloss, rule under jobseeker's benefit. In addition, they will be exempt from suffering the loss of one day of jobseeker's payment, whether jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance, for every day of employment in fire fighting. This means that any day of employment as a firefighter will not reduce an individual's weekly jobseeker's entitlement. The on-call arrangements are also being taken into account.

I do not propose to accept the amendment. We are introducing the legislation and it will apply from the date of its implementation. There is a cost to the Department but it is in relation to a service which is vital. I thank everybody on all sides who have supported the introduction of the legislation.