Closure of Ballincollig fire station a ‘health and safety issue’, claims Cork TD

THE current closure of Ballincollig Fire Station and the resulting decrease in the number of operational fire trucks in the city is a “health and safety issue for every man, every woman, and every child in Cork City”, a Cork TD has claimed.

Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central Mick Barry raised the ongoing dispute over the station in the Dáil today, backing calls for it to be immediately reinstated.

Ballincollig Fire Station has been closed since late 2021 as efforts to recruit for a retained fire service have been unsuccessful.

Siptu members employed as firefighters in Cork City commenced limited industrial action a fortnight ago in a bid to see the station reopened, with members claiming that a lack of resources is “endangering members and public safety”.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr Barry pointed to claims that since the city’s boundary extension in 2019, Cork City Fire Service covers an area five times the size of the old city with the same number of full-time staff and now one less fire appliance since Ballincollig has been closed.

“I believe that this is a health and safety issue for every man, every woman and every child in Cork City,” he said.

Mr Barry said the stringent criteria associated with the retained fire service is “not realistic” for those in an urban environment.

“It may be possible to recruit retained firefighters in smaller, rural communities — though clearly the wages will need to be raised — but in urban areas, the requirement to be able to report for duty within three to five minutes is not realistic and there are simply no takers,” he said.

“Cork City firefighters have volunteered to staff Ballincollig and to bring the fourth fire truck into play while the council recruit more staff, be they full-time or retained, but for more than two years now their offer has been spurned.

Mr Barry said there is now a “crisis” around the recruitment and retainment of retained firefighters and that the State must “step up recruitment of full-time staff”.

He also asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar if he has concerns over the ongoing dispute in Cork City.

“This is a live issue and because it’s an industrial relations matter, I’m limited as to what I can say in the House, but I do understand that Cork City Council has invited Siptu to talks with a view to finding a solution to this dispute and remain available to meet staff representatives,” Mr Varadkar said in relation to the latter.

“The city council is also engaging with the Workplace Relations Commission,” he said.

Regarding the retained fire service generally, Mr Varadkar said he understands that there are negotiations ongoing with unions and representatives of the retained fire service.

“It relates to rostering, it relates to pay and conditions and it relates to recruitment and all of these things are on the table and I know Minister [Darragh] O’Brien is actively involved in this and hopes that it can be concluded by the summer,” he said.

In respect to the current industrial relations dispute, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “Cork City Council has fully engaged with the WRC and has accepted an invitation to attend a meeting with the unions in respect of the current industrial relations dispute.”