Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Firefighters from Monaghan, the Leas-Chathaoirleach's county of Cavan and elsewhere throughout the country will make their way to Leinster House today to call for reform of the fire service model and to try to rescue this essential service. Firefighters will tell you that the current model, which dates back to the early 1950s, is not fit for purpose in the modern world in which we find ourselves. They will also tell you that people are applying to join the fire service but, unfortunately, when they get in there for a while and realise the restraints under which it operates, they leave. We first have a recruitment issue and second have a retention issue. Something needs to be done to address that and to modernise the model in such a way as to attract new people to join and, more importantly, to be in a financial position and an employment situation to be able to stay there once they do. We need a wide-scale debate on fire service personnel, including on how we attract people into the profession. That may include incentivising employers or increasing the retention payment, but something needs to be done. Firefighters are coming to the capital city today to look for help. These are the very people to whom we turn when we are in an emergency. It is time we listened. I would welcome a debate with the Minister, arranged by the Leader, in order to come up with a model and suggestions which might alleviate the current situation in which we find ourselves because communities depend on our firefighters.