Fire officers have called for the urgent creation of a State authority to oversee fire and emergency services, as recommended in a review of a sector 14 months ago.
At its annual meeting in Westport, Co Mayo yesterday, the Chief Fire Officers' Association criticised the Government for failing to implement the recommendations of the report, carried out by consultants Farrell Grant Sparks (FGS).
Mr Tony Gleeson, the association's chairman, said Ireland was lagging behind its European counterparts in relation to the effectiveness of the fire service and, as a result, the service was seriously lacking in confidence.
The FGS report cited a lack of focus and leadership in the fire service, blaming diffusion of authority across a range of statutory bodies. Mr Gleeson said the problems were exacerbated by the fact that there were 37 fire authorities with huge operational variations, and that the Chief Fire Officer had little influence in making decisions on important matters pertaining to his or her service in the local community.
He called on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, to fully implement the recommendations of the review rather than implement it in a piecemeal fashion. "In particular, we want to see the Fire and Civil Protection Authority set up as a matter of urgency. In truth, without such an authority, it will be difficult to bring about the change needed to renew the fire and civil protection service throughout the country," said Mr Gleeson.
