Athlone fire station closed due to dispute escalation

Athlone fire station remains closed today (Tuesday) due to a serious escalation in the retained firefighters dispute which will see up to 50% of fire stations across the country being closed on a rolling basis over the coming week.

Retained firefighters who are members of SIPTU were joined on the picket line in Athlone this morning by Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council and local Fianna Fail Cllr, Aengus O'Rourke.

Despite the escalation in the firefighters dispute - which got underway last week - SIPTU has moved to reassure the public that all emergency call-outs will continue to be responded to.

“Nobody wants to put lives at risk, and certainly not the members of the fire service” said SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, who told the Westmeath Independent that “everything possible will be done” to ensure that all emergency call-outs are responded to during the period of strike action.

Ms. O'Loughlin said the union are “not hopeful” of an early resolution to the dispute which was initiated over a crisis in recruitment and retention of firefighters in the fire service. “Our members have warned for some time that this strike action will result in very serious disruption to services, but left with no option but to commence it as the very future of the service is in doubt if the current crisis in recruitment and retention of firefighters is not resolved” she said.

SIPTU members in the retained fire service are due to commence an all-out stike from Tuesday of next week, June 20, if the dispute is not resolved, and have said their union is available to engage in “meaningful dialogue” on the outstanding issues that need to be resolved.

The retained fire service is a 2,000 strong part-time workforce which provides fire and first responder emergency services across the country.