The Government must stick to its pledge to set up a National Fire Authority, union leaders insisted today.

The Chief Fire Officers Association has given a cautious welcome to plans to establish a National Fire Authority.

FIRE officers have expressed frustration about the failure to establish a National Fire Authority, which was recommended by an expert report two years ago.

THE Chief Fire Officers' Association has written to the Department of Environment warning that the country's fire service is incapable of dealing with a major terrorist attack.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern recently declared that this country was unlikely to be a target of a major terrorist strike, a sentiment which possibly did not give comfort to everybody.