A Cavan councillor has called on the Government to "take on board" the concerns of retained firefighters across the county. The matter was raised at a recent meeting of Cavan County Council by Sinn Fein's Paddy McDonald.
Cllr McDonald believes firefighters across the region do "excellent work" under what can be "very traumatic circumstances." However, the latest supports offered "do not go far enough" to prevent further strike action according to the local representative.
Labour Court recommendations include increasing base pay by Є3,000 -thousand euro, to just under Є12,000, but crews say it'll not be enough to recruit and retain new staff.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Cllr McDonald believes Minister Darragh O'Brien must "do more" and take on the concerns of retained firefighters, starting with giving them a "decent wage."
He added that local fire crews across Cavan "do not want to strike," however feel like they have been left with no other option but to do so. "The day a firefighter is handed their alert bleeper, is the day their family joins as well," explained Cllr McDonald.
"Firefighters are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, except for 28 days annual holidays. It effects their whole family life, if they go out at the weekends they must carry their bleeper with them and they could get called away.
"I don't know why the department is not looking at this seriously because if firefighters go on full strike it's going to impact everybody."
