Cork City Council to hold special meeting over re-opening Ballincollig fire station 

On Thursday, the city's firefighters will begin the 84th day of their open-ended industrial action over what Siptu says has been the failure of fire service management to reinstate the Ballincollig retained fire and rescue service.

Seven councillors have secured a special meeting of Cork City Council next week to discuss the reopening and staffing of a fire station at the centre of a firefighters' industrial dispute.

The meeting, which will take place next Wednesday, follows the serving of a Section 140 notice on city officials on Monday.

It was signed and physically handed in by Rabharta Glas Cllr Lorna Bogue, and co-signed by Cllrs Ted Tynan, Brian McCarthy, Mick Nugent, Eolan Ryng, Ken Collins and Fiona Kerins, during Monday's council meeting. Ms Bogue was not allowed to read it out at the meeting.

The notice set out the single resolution to be discussed at the meeting, which reads: “That Cork City Council resolves to re-open the Ballincollig fire station immediately with a full-time fire service while maintaining current staffing levels elsewhere.” 

The notice also points out that under the section 140 process of the Local Government Act, an elected council may, by resolution, require any particular act, matter or thing specifically mentioned in the resolution and which the local authority or the manager concerned can lawfully do.

However, another section of the act also states that a council chief executive can only implement a lawfully passed resolution “if and when and in so far as money for its purpose is or has been provided”.

Costs

The Irish Examiner has previously reported that the cost of opening and staffing the Ballincollig fire station has been estimated in the order of €4m-€5m when staffing and capital costs are included. There is no provision for such investment in the council's 2023 budget.

During Monday's meeting, Solidarity Cllr Brian McCarthy called on city officials to "go back to the firefighters with serious proposals" to resolve the issues while Ind Cllr Paudie Dineen said it is up to councillors now to start making provisions for the fire service in the 2024 budget so that more firefighters can be hired. Ballincollig-based FG Cllr Derry Canty said the town, with a catchment of some 26,000 people, wants a full-time fire service.

But FF Cllr Terry Shannon stressed that this entire issue is a matter between the executive and staff, and not a matter for city councillors.

On Thursday, the city's firefighters will begin the 84th day of their open-ended industrial action over what Siptu says has been the failure of fire service management to reinstate the Ballincollig retained fire and rescue service or provide additional resources to the Cork City Fire Brigade to provide cover in Ballincollig following the 2019 city boundary extension.

The industrial action relates to administrative duties only and has not affected the emergency 999 service.

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Despite the launch of a high-profile retained firefighter recruitment campaign over two years ago, the city council has yet to hire a single retained firefighter to crew the Ballincollig station.

It has, however, just launched a new recruitment campaign for full-time firefighters.

Last month, Siptu and city management engaged in talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to try to end the dispute. A proposal emerged, which would have led to the reopening of Ballincollig fire station 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday but it was rejected following a ballot.

Both sides are willing to re-engage in talks with the WRC, and are understood to be awaiting confirmation of a suitable date.