Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Kildare under-20s all-Ireland winning team. It was a tremendous day for any lilywhite who was in Cavan last Saturday and for all of those involved. I thank the team and management for creating such an atmosphere. Obviously, I offer my commiserations to Sligo but it was a great day to be a lilywhite.

I want to talk about retained firefighters. There was a breakdown in negotiations last week between the National Retained Firefighters Association and Government agencies. Those of us who have retained firefighters and stations serving our communities are distinctly aware of the magnificent job they do. Retained firefighters were first established in the 1940s and early 1950s. A number of reports have recommended improvements in the life of retained firefighters over past years, including a significant report in 2002. Retained firefighters must be on call 24 hours a day for a minimum of 48 hours for 48 weeks of the year. This shows the commitment these men and women are giving to their local communities. To be a retained firefighter in any county, a person must live within 2.5 km of the fire station. That brings so many problems for the people involved in this work. I am dealing with a number of them in relation to housing and traffic jams. It is huge issue for anyone who is a retained firefighter.

Another issue is that a retained firefighter cannot take up employment outside that 2.5 km zone. This leads to other issues, one of the biggest being obtaining a mortgage. I mentioned housing. I am dealing with a number of people who cannot afford a mortgage. The average wage for a retained firefighter is around €13,000 which is not sufficient to obtain a mortgage. I ask Government to get back around the table on this issue. These people have embedded in our communities. They need all our support in this House and in the Lower House. I ask the Leader to contact the Government on it as a matter of urgency.