Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Apr 2009

Vol. 195 No. 3

Local Authority Staff.

Senator Jerry Buttimer

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, and I congratulate him on his reappointment. I am concerned that following media reports yesterday and from investigation with local authorities, we may not have lifeguards on our beaches this summer. As the Minister of State knows, local authorities are rightly constricted and confined by the public service embargo on recruitment and replacement of staff. Lifeguards are temporary in their employment in the summer time, traditionally during the peak holiday season of June, July and August. Safety in the water and on our beaches is an issue of paramount importance to everybody, in particular to local authorities under whose remit the beaches come. A ban on the recruitment of lifeguards if it came into being would have a very negative impact and serious implications for everybody who uses our beaches.

We have rightly placed considerable emphasis in recent years on safety at sea and on our beaches. The Irish Water Safety Association deserves immense credit and commendation for its advertisements and the campaign it has launched regarding etiquette and behaviour on beaches and at sea. It would be a retrograde step to sacrifice life and sacrifice the pleasure people can get from being at the beach by being economically stringent and prudent. It is imperative that the beaches of Ireland are patrolled by lifeguards. To have no lifeguards would mean having no enforcement of behaviour and that people who get into difficulty in the water would have no recourse except to people who are not trained, in many cases, on beaches.

Local authorities have an issue with recruitment. Clarity needs to be brought to the issue and I hope in this debate the Minister of State will bring clarity. Spending summer holidays or Sundays on the beach in Ireland is a pastime in which we all engaged when growing up, going to many beaches.

The issue of the blue flag has implications for many beaches if we have no lifeguards to provide safety. That will have implications for local authorities because the coveted blue flag is something to which many coastal communities aspire and cherish. Are we going to undermine the work of local authorities in cleaning up beaches, having them patrolled and providing safety for the people who go there?

The recruitment of lifeguards does not just happen. There needs to be an interview, suitability testing, induction and training. As was stated in the newspapers yesterday, they represent the front-line emergency service for many. We are not talking about "Baywatch" or Bondi Beach, we are talking about the beaches around our coasts. All of us knew people who drowned and know people who have got into difficulties with tidal conditions and places with undercurrents and rip currents. We do not all go swimming with strong swimmers. We need to put the safety of people first. I hope that the Minister of State's reply will contain a guarantee to local authorities that they will be able to recruit and pay lifeguards. If such a cut were to come in, it would be inequitable and would send the wrong message for the reasons I have outlined. I look forward to a positive reply.

I do not blame the Minister of State for not having a copy of the speech if he does not have one. However, it is desirable for us to have a copy. As people who raise the items on the Adjournment, we have the right to be able to read the reply if we have a supplementary question for the Minister or the Minister of State.

Deputy Barry Andrews

I again apologise for that. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I will be taking this adjournment on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley.

The appointment of lifeguards is a regular part of the provision of water safety measures. As in all such cases involving the recruitment of personnel, it is a matter for the local authority to determine the local requirement subject to overall Government policy on numbers and the authority's financial position.

In accordance with Government policy, as part of the approach to managing the public sector payroll in the current economic circumstances, no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. This decision, which came into effect from 31 March 2009, stands until the end of 2010. Local authorities have been requested to comply with these requirements. Any exceptions to this principle, which will arise in very limited circumstances only, require the prior sanction of the Minister for Finance. The decision also applies to temporary appointments on a fixed-term basis and to the renewal of such contracts.

It is essential for the sector, in order to address the financial challenges facing it, to prioritise services for delivery and to adjust staffing levels accordingly. While staffing levels are accordingly being contained and reduced, it is a primary objective of the authorities and the Minister that key front-line services continue to be managed with optimum efficiency and that local authorities both meet the current needs of their customers and act to support the needs of the economy.

In this context, local authorities have been asked to examine opportunities for redeployment of staff as well as reorganisation and reallocation of work as ways to address staffing requirements when vacancies arise. They have responded well and the local government sector is to the fore in devising more efficient ways of delivering services. This is a demonstration of responsible management by local authorities at a time when there has been significant growth in other parts of the public sector. It will, of course, be necessary to pursue further reform to ensure that services continue to be delivered in accordance with local needs.

The Minister is conscious of the front-line nature of many local government services and their importance in public health and safety terms, as well as in terms of supporting day-to-day economic activity and contributing to social well-being. Having regard to overall Government policy, he will continue to take into account the key nature of certain local government roles and responsibilities and the need for the services and posts concerned to be staffed at appropriate levels. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is consulting the Department of Finance on the appropriate application of the overall policy approach to such posts. The Department aims, in this way, to continue to enable arrangements governing local authority personnel recruitment and filling of posts to balance the demands of rigorous management of overall numbers with the need to maintain critical services locally. The recruitment of lifeguards, and their role in supporting public safety and tourism, will be covered in this consultation.

The provision of lifeguards is funded exclusively by local authorities. Specific central funding is not provided for this purpose and local authorities traditionally meet the costs involved for any proposed recruitment from within their own existing resources. The Minister will advance the approach to dealing with recruitment aspects of such important cases as a matter of urgency.

Senator Jerry Buttimer

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. However, he has not answered the rubric of the motion. In his reply the Minister of State said there would be a period of consultation. I appreciate that it is not his Department, but no hard and fast decision has been made. Owing to the recruitment ban, local authorities cannot employ people. Will there be lifeguards on our beaches this summer?

Deputy Barry Andrews

As the Senator rightly said, this is not something that one can do overnight. The Minister has rightly decided to consult local authorities on the issue. I am a representative of a coastal constituency and we have beaches with blue flags and have a great tradition of sea bathing all along our coast. There are endless dangers to do with tides, jet-skis, alcohol abuse and all sorts of things for which we need lifeguards. They also feed into our tourism industry. The Minister recognises that and there seem to be indications that he may be taking on board the Senator's concerns in this area.