Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
585. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the staffing shortages in the Dublin Fire Brigade; the impact of retirements on the staffing levels and the need to recruit additional staff to keep pace with retirements; if there are plans for additional recruitment once the December 2020 intake have started work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32533/20]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and progressing legislation, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
The prioritisation and effective management of all resources is, in the first instance, a matter for each of the fire authorities based on their assessment of local needs and requirements. In relation to the staffing requirements in each local authority, under the Local Government Act 2001, it is the responsibility of each Chief Executive to employ such staff and to make such staffing, funding, recruitment and organisational arrangements as may be deemed necessary for the purposes of carrying out the functions of their local authority.
The Fire Service in Ireland is fortunate to have available to it, in the full-time and retained services of staff at all levels, a large number of professional, competent and highly committed personnel. Local authorities, as the employers of fire service personnel, have demonstrated their commitment to the service over the past number of years. In fact the numbers of fire service frontline staff have been maintained at a high level throughout the economic challenges of the past number of years, even at a time when staffing numbers were by necessity being reduced in other areas.
Local authorities as the employers of fire service personnel, and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) engage with appropriate staffing representative bodies in relation to overall terms of employment etc. I understand that this is the case at the moment in respect of staffing matters in Dublin Fire Brigade. Given the statutory roles I have outlined above and the fact that discussions in relation to the Dublin Fire Service are ongoing between the relevant parties in the appropriate fora, it would not be appropriate for me as Minister, to make any comment on the issue at this time.
