Eighteen firefighters recruited
Better conditions for retained firefighters are being urged as 18 new recruits are set to join the service locally.
Cllr Damien Brady (SF), himself a fire fighter, raised the issue during the September monthly meeting of local authority members.
He said that, despite promises made last year following an industrial dispute, difficulties still remain for those working in the service locally.
“Firefighters keep our communities safe and provide an invaluable service 24/7, seven days a week,” he added. “I’m 25 years in the fire service and never have I seen morale in Cavan Fire Service as low as it is at the moment. We highlighted our plight for better pay and conditions 12 months ago; promises were made and yet here we are.”
On September 7, 2023 SIPTU’s retained firefighters voted to accept proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), following intensive consultation.
Under the terms of the overall proposals, new recruits will now enter the service with guaranteed minimum earnings of over €18,000, moving to increments more quickly than was previously the case. In addition, the guaranteed earnings for firefighters with more than eight years of service will be over €21,500.
The agreement also means that station officers will have secure minimum earnings of between €27,400 and €31,730 a year. Other relevant conditions include filling promotional positions, hiring 400 new recruits and the availability requirement reduced from 48 weeks to 24 weeks with an option to be available more frequently on a voluntary basis.
Cllr Brady says the new proposals are slow to materalise. “I have seen some of the finest men and women in this county joining Cavan Fire Service only to leave shortly after they arrive,” he continued.
“I know that costs are high when it comes to training firefighters but we want to continue to provide a service and I know that some stations in the county never even got replies to the recruitment campaign.
“However, the station in Cavan Town is up from nine to 12 firefighters but in Ballyconnell - my own station - the numbers are down. We want the minimum wage for new recruits and we are going to introduce the week on/week off rota in the hope that this will act as an incentive.
“Firefighters risk their lives every day of the week and we want better pay; we also want our minister to engage with all the agencies that are involved in this.”
Cllr John Paul Feeley (FF) told those gathered that everyone was anxious to see an “equitable and fair” system put in place for fire service staff; while Cllr Trevor Smith (FG) added: “We certainly need to support the new week on, week off roster system.”
Meanwhile, CE Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle indicated that industrial relations discussions around the new pay and conditions terms are currently taking place at national level. He said a resolution will be forthcoming and it will be on a national scale, not local.
Mr Doyle also outlined the state of play regarding recruitment in Co Cavan.
“Eighteen firefighters are being trained in Cavan and they will graduate shortly,” he continued before adding that he “acknowledged wholeheartedly” the work that firefighters in the county do.
“Hopefully we will have a resolution shortly on all of the issues that Cllr Brady has referred to.”