Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
231. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on staff shortages in the fire service; the number of hours that fire engines were out of service due to staff shortages in the fire service in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34736/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
Local Authority fire services in Ireland are provided by 3,200 professional, competent and highly committed personnel at all levels in 218 full-time and retained services. 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.
The prioritisation of work and effective management of all resources is, in the first instance, a matter for management in each of the fire services, 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. Vacancies arise in fire services in the normal course of events, due to retirements and resignations. Reports from fire services indicate that, currently, there are 124 vacancies in fire-fighter staff countrywide out of a staff total of 3,200. My Department has received no report of fire stations taken out of service due to vacancies and there is nothing to indicate that the overall level of fire service provision has been adversely affected by vacancies in recent years.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has monitored regular reports from fire services, regarding the impact of the pandemic on staffing levels. During this period, necessary restrictions have limited opportunities for fire services to undertake recruitment and training activities in some cases.
I am aware that a number of fire stations were taken out of service for short periods during the pandemic, due to positive COVID-19 tests or precautionary isolation in case of suspected infection. Following testing, crews were permitted to return to duty.
The fire stations concerned were:
|
Fire station |
Date |
Number of days out of service |
|
Naas, Co. Kildare |
June 2020 |
2 |
|
Monasterevin, Co. Kildare |
June 2020 |
3 |
|
Trim, Co. Meath |
March 2021 |
9 |
|
Naas, Co. Kildare |
March 2021 |
3 |
In these cases, as always when a particular fire station is not available for any reason, fire cover was provided from the network of neighbouring fire stations during interruptions to service.
Detailed data on the number of hours fire engines may be out of service, whether due to staffing, mechanical reasons of crew engagement in training or for other reasons, is not collected by, and consequently is not available in, my Department. The relevant information may be available from individual local authorities.
