Council told to find funding for full-time Ballincollig fire brigade
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Funding must be found to provide a full-time fire brigade in a Cork town which has seen its fire station closed following the 2019 city boundary extension, city bosses have been told.
The call came during a Cork City Council debate on Monday night as firefighters continue their limited industrial action in an ongoing row over staffing shortages which they claim is putting lives at risk.
As firefighters looked on from the public gallery, councillors were told that council management has accepted a WRC invitation to talks but that Siptu has, as of yet, not.
Firefighters say the root cause of this dispute lies with the failure of fire service management to reinstate the Ballincollig retained fire and rescue service or provide additional resources following the boundary extension.
The open-ended industrial action by Siptu members of the brigade relates to administrative duties only and has not affected the emergency 999 service.
However, firefighters have warned that the industrial action could escalate unless the council comes forward with meaningful proposals to resolve the staffing issue affecting Ballincollig since the city boundary extension.
Ballincollig had a full-time retained fire service when it was within the administrative area of Cork County Council.
Following the boundary extension, City Hall launched recruitment campaigns in a bid to restore a full-time retained brigade in the town, but they have proved unsuccessful.
Firefighters say their resources are now being stretched trying to cover the expanded city area.
Sinn Féin councillor Eolan Ryng tabled a motion on Monday urging the council to recognise that its recruitment campaigns for retained firefighters have not been successful.
He called for the reopening of Ballincollig fire station without delay, using full-time firefighters, and said there is a sense of urgency ahead of the summer months, with figures from last July showing the fire service responded to 300 incidents of fire.
“Nationally, there is a crisis in the retained fire service. Recent surveys have indicated that 60% of people in the retained fire service have indicated that they want to leave,” he said.
Ballincollig-based Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher said management has explored every avenue to honour its commitment to deliver a service on a par with that before the boundary extension. He said he is in favour of a full-time fire service in the town and urged both sides to use the machinery of the WRC to find a viable solution.
But in her last contribution to the council before her resignation, Solidarity councillor Fiona Ryan launched a robust attack on city management for its “bullish and stubborn approach” to this “universally appreciated” set of workers.
“It’s time for the executive to back down and accept that their plan has failed,” she said.
The debate comes ahead of a community-organised protest at the town’s fire station on Friday.
In a statement, City Hall said the recruitment of retained firefighters is progressing and ongoing.
“This competition remains open on a rolling basis without a closing date. All information is available for interested candidates on the city council recruitment page,” it said.