Brid Smith pledges support for the Fire Fighters

Brid Smith attacks dangerous cuts to fire service and pledges support for the Fire Fighters

 Bríd Smith, the People Before Profit Euro candidate, today attacked the dangerous cuts to the fire service which will see the number of fire services in the State reduced from 30 to 21. Cllr. Smith pledged her own and People Before Profit’s support for the Retained Fire Fighters and their campaign.

Cllr. Bríd Smith commented: “Myself and all People Before Profit candidates in the local election are pledging to actively support the Retained Fire Fighters in their opposition to cuts to fire crews across the country. These cuts to the Fire Service will endanger the lives of the public and the lives of the fire fighters who every day risk their own safety to protect us, our families and our homes. All the while Local authorities continue to deprive the service of vital funds. The number of retained fire-fighters had fallen from 2,083 in 1980 to  2,063 now, during a time when the population had increased from 3.4 million in 1980 to 4.5 million today.

Cllr. Smith went on to say: “My fellow People Before Profit candidates and myself are also opposed to Local Authorities collecting fire charges for private car accidents and house fires. People are already crippled trying to pay existing double taxes in the form of the property tax and the impending water charges.

“The attack on fire services and the ambulance service are just the latest in a long list of vicious cuts to essential local and social services imposed by Labour and Fine Gael’s vicious austerity agenda.”