'I don’t think we should be hitting our frontline': Councillor voices frustration over cuts to city's Fire Service

CUTS to the tune of almost €84,000 have been made to the city’s fire service under Cork City Council’s budget for 2022.

Cork City Council agreed an expenditure budget of €240m for 2022 at the annual budget meeting on Monday evening, an increase of approximately €14m in spending compared to 2020.

However, while there was an overall increase in spend, there were cumulative cuts of around €1.4m, with an overall cut of €83,800 to the city’s Fire Service.

At Monday’s budget meeting, Independent councillor Paudie Dineen proposed an amendment to the budget seeking to offset the cuts to the Fire Service.

Mr Dineen suggested allocating funds from other areas such as money for parks, pitches and open spaces to try to plug the funding gap.

However, the proposed amendment, which was seconded by Labour councillor John Maher, was rejected with 24 votes against the proposal, six for it, and one abstention.

“I was very disappointed that so many voted against it,” Mr Dineen told The Echo.

Two of the main areas within the Fire Service to experience cuts next year are the ‘fire appliances maintenance and fuel’ with a reduction in spend of €23,800 and ‘fire fighting equipment and material’ with a cut of €20,800.

Mr Dineen, who represents the city’s South Central electoral ward, said he viewed the cuts as “substantial”.

“I don’t think we should be hitting our frontline,” he said.

“It sends the wrong message to those people who do so much.”

Mr Dineen, who is retired from the Ambulance Service, said the Fire Service is the “first line of defence for any emergency in the city” and responds to a wide spectrum of incidents.

When his proposed amendment did not pass, Mr Dineen said he considered voting against the proposed budget, but ultimately decided to support it.

“Overall you have to trust the directors because they know their departments,” he said.

“They know what they need.”

In relation to the positive aspects of the budget, Mr Dineen said he felt the funding allocated to each of the Local Area Committees (LACs) is crucial.

“The Local Area Committees have the €300,000 each that we have control over,” he said.

“It’s a new arm that we’re getting to do things in our own area.”

Speaking in relation to the Fire Service, Fianna Fáil councillor for Cork City North West Tony Fitzgerald said despite the cuts to certain areas, it is still “substantially funded”.

“The Fire Service obviously is a key strategic service,” he said.

“It provides crucial services to the city.

“But each director has been given a substantial budget to deliver their services, and I’m confident that each director can maximise the resources they have and meet any shortfalls that are there to deliver any services.”