Fire Service
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-02
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Frankie Feighan (FG), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this important issue. It affects us in all our constituencies, towns, villages and cities. The focus has been on making the role more attractive and sustainable. We have done a lot for better work-life balance, have increased financial security and career opportunities and have raised awareness.
I thank the members for all their work. Retention and recruitment of personnel in the fire service remains a key priority. Supporting retained firefighters through appropriate policies, employer engagement and public awareness is essential to maintaining a strong and sustainable service. There will be constructive dialogue. We need to continue to work together to ensure a safe, resilient and well-supported fire service for communities across the country.
I have heard what the Senator said and will bring it back to the Minister that there is a gap of four years and that it probably needs to be narrowed as much as possible. All stakeholders need to work together on coming up with a reasonable solution.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-02/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:09+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-02