Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise an issue that was dealt with in a Commencement matter put forward by Senators Gallagher and O'Donovan. Their message needs to echo out loud and clear from the House. I refer to the situation whereby volunteer firefighters are struggling financially. They are constrained because of the nature of their job, which means, in the first instance, they must take a post that is located geographically close to their base. Second, their job requires a boss who is understanding that when the beeper goes, they have to run.As a result, they are very limited in their choice of career. People who are self-employed have to drop everything and go at a moment’s notice. The challenges are immense, yet the retainer they receive does not reflect the modern world. They are providing a professional service and not being remunerated for it. There is something wrong about a system where that is allowed to continue in a country that is in a very strong financial position.

We respect the work firefighters do. They save many thousands of lives right across the country and prevent a lot of damage, yet the retainer and the payments they get is not moving with inflation or the cost of living. I have often argued that those in the Coast Guard should have the same terms and conditions as firefighters. The Coast Guard operates on an almost completely volunteer basis. Those involved get a very small stipend.

We need a debate on the emergency services, especially the volunteer emergency services. We need to look at firefighters, what they are getting and how it needs to be improved in order to prevent industrial action that is planned in June. We also need to look at the Coast Guard and how we can couple it with the fire services. Bearing in mind that local authorities manage the fire services, they could easily manage the Coast Guard as well. We need a debate on the volunteer emergency services generally. We need to treat them with respect and value the work they do.