Seán Sherlock
Question:444. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will intervene in a dispute between a local authority (details supplied). [24956/23]
View answerTuesday, 23 May 2023
Questions (444)
Written answers
The 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 Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running a central training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management manages fire service issues in my Department.
Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under this legislation, 31 authorities provide fire prevention and fire protection services for communities through 27 service delivery structures. Approximately 3,300 local authority staff engaged at 217 fire stations nationwide deliver local authority fire services, 16 of these stations being staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters, with approximately 2,065 retained firefighters around the country. It is important to note that the numbers of fire service front-line staff have been maintained at a constant high level throughout the economic challenges of the past number of years, even when staffing numbers, by necessity, were reduced in other areas of the local authority sector.
I am aware of an ongoing dispute regarding the operational status of Ballincollig fire station. Ballincollig Fire Station has been non-operational since November 2021 as a result of retained firefighters at that stations appointment to full-time positions in Cork City following a recruitment process. Fire calls in the Ballincollig area are responded to from the Fire Brigade Headquarters in Cork City. A recruitment process is underway to fill retained firefighter vacancies in Ballincollig. The Workplace Relations Commission have invited Cork City Council and SIPTU to talks with a view to finding a resolution to this dispute. I would strongly encourage all parties involved to use the established Industrial Relations machinery of the State to find a viable solution.