Firefighters and paramedics considering industrial action over Covid-19 vaccine delays

Vaccinations for 1,100 firefighters and paramedics remain outstanding. File picture: Denis Minihane.

Dublin Fire Brigade union representatives will meet with management on Tuesday warning that they will "assess their options" as vaccinations for 1,100 firefighters and paramedics remain outstanding.

The vaccination programme for firefighters began last month and was scheduled to take place for three days a week for three weeks. However, just 240 members of the service were vaccinated due to supplies of vaccines being low.

Siptu organiser at Dublin Fire Brigade Shane McGill said that since then, no further vaccinations have taken place and no answers have been given on when vaccination will resume for the majority of members.

Mr McGill said that original stocks of the vaccines had been diverted to care homes, a move which members did not disagree with. However, the subsequent vaccination of 1,800 GPs and practice nurses did raise questions.

"There is an agreed sequencing ladder that hasn't been kept to. 

Step 1A was nursing home residents and staff and 1B was paramedics because we're going to unregulated environments - homes with whole families for example and the lads can't understand why it couldn't be done.

"We wrote to the HSE on January 20 and there has been no response. We wrote again on January 27 and there has been no response. Lads are getting frustrated and wondering why there has been no response and no urgency.

"Nobody seems to be doing anything for us and we're being stonewalled when we're asking the questions."

Mr McGill said that if answers aren't forthcoming from management after the meeting on Tuesday members "will look into their options" including industrial action.

"Last year we did 120,000 cases. If you ring 999 in Dublin, you get our ambulances, so every day they are dealing with different people and cases.

"You can't social distance at a road traffic accident. So our lads' only protection is a mask, so they need this vaccine immediately."