Cllr Feeney said that on Tuesday, 13th June, Labour will join with opposition parties to call on the Minister for Local Government and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide the necessary funding to sustain retained fire services now and into the future. Right now, retained firefighters must be on call 24 hours a day for a minimum of 48 hours for 48 weeks of the year. These workers are the backbone of the community yet their pay, terms and conditions do not reflect the crucial work they carry out. There are just over 2,000 retained firefighters in Ireland and they form a core pillar of our fire service. They are asked to live within two and a half kilometres of the fire station, a commitment that is hugely limiting. They cannot take up employment outside that zone, which limits their earnings and career potential. In the context of a cost of living crisis which is hammering all workers, it’s disgraceful that the Government has not come to the table to resolve the dispute, forcing firefighters to strike. Labour fully supports these workers and their union SIPTU.
SIPTU has been quite clear that the industrial dispute that has now commenced is a result of the failure of management to adequately address a worsening recruitment and retention crisis. Until the Government steps up and provides adequate funding this crisis will continue.
Cllr Feeney concluded that the Minister will have to deal with this issue sooner or later. We in Labour are in full support of retained firefighters in Kildare and nationwide. It’s time that the Government actually values the crucial work that firefighters carry out in Kildare and beyond.