Fire fighters on picket at Mullingar Fire Station today
The local SIPTU shop steward for retained firefighters reiterated comments from his colleagues about their disappointment comments by Minister Darragh O’Brien in the Dáil last week.
Tony Sheerin, speaking to the Westmeath Examiner on the picket line at Mullingar Fire Station on Wednesday, said: “We’re here today and we’re here in force because of the recruitment and retention, remuneration, and the work/ life balance situation we have in the retained service at the moment.
“And we are very disappointed with Minister Darragh O’Brien’s response in the Dáil yesterday. He let everybody down. We felt on one hand, he was praising the retained fire service for the work they do and the commitment they give, and on the other hand, he wishes that we would come in off our picket lines – insinuating that this is our doing, when the crisis in the service has been there for many years, and has been highlighted in many documents – one of which was his own, in 2021.
“He is only well aware of all the issues we have in the retained service.”
Mr Sheerin said that the minister had highlighted the fact that there is not sufficient personnel to run the service at the moment: “Where does he think we’re going to get these people from?”
Pointing to a colleague in the Retained Fire Service based in Mullingar, who had dropped by to support the picket but was unable to stay because he had his young children with him, Mr Sheerin said the low pay, which he estimated at €8500 a year, was at the core of the problem, as it is too little to attract staff, and young people with young children, such as his colleague, cannot afford to stay.
He continued: “I’ve met several retired service men over the last couple of weeks, and do you know, it’s only now you realise how relaxed they are, and they all say the same thing, they don’t know how they ever did what they did, how they brought a family up through the service, with the commitment that’s involved, and the poor pay and conditions.
“But, do you know what, we’re all dedicated people, we love the job – and that’s the issue – the management know full well that when it comes down to it, we are not going to leave people in dire situations; we are going to respond, absolutely we are, it’s in our nature, it’s what we’re like.”
Returning to Minister O’Brien’s comments about returning to the Work Relations Commission (WRC), Mr Sheerin said that that highlighted the situation regarding driver mechanics that has been with the WRC for 10 years. He explained that the driver mechanic position was discontinued, with a view to having additional sub-officers instead, but he said that had never been agreed, but “they went ahead with it and we’re still fighting that case 10 years later, so do they really expect us to come back into the same Work Relations Commission and try and resolve this situation, because if that’s what they expect, in 10 years time you won’t have a service.
“What you see now is only a glimpse into what’s going to happen in the next couple of years if this isn’t resolved.”
Asked if he was optimistic about the current situation being resolved, Mr Sheerin said he was less so after hearing the minister’s comments in the Dáil.
“I don’t think he has truly taken into consideration the alternative here, because regardless of what happens now, the service is in massive trouble.
“If we end up at a point, where for one reason or another, we have to hold our hands up and say ‘look, we’re not gonna get anything from this’ – and we’re going to take this as far as we can – if that happens, the service is just going to absolutely fall apart.
“It’s on its knees as it is.”
“What’s going to happen, particularly now that the fire service at this moment has got real bad name, because how are you going to encourage anybody in now for eight and a half thousand – not a chance.”
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