Three fire stations likely to close

It's believed that Daingean, Banagher and Kilcormac fire stations will be officially stood down at Monday's meeting of Offaly County Council. Fianna Fáil's county councillors have released a joint-statement expressing deep disappointment at the fire fighters union's failure to back a plan to prevent the closure of the three fire stations and have said that they will adopt the fire service plan at Monday's meeting. Last Thursday, they learned that the union representing fire fighters had taken a decision not to ballot their members on the issues involved. Earlier this year the council presented members with a cost-cutting plan for the fire service, however councillors rejected the proposal. With a budget of €3.3 million for the fire services, councillors proposed an alternative plan, which would ensure no station closures. The Fianna Fáil led proposal centred on a commitment from the elected representatives to make an additional €250,000 available from cutbacks and savings in other council services, with further savings of €150,000 to be achieved within the fire service, through changes in work practices, including rostering. Unions representing firemen have been involved in negotiations with council management for the past four months. "In light of the union's statement and bearing in mind the potential consequences of failure to adopt a fire service plan for Co. Offaly, including litigation, we have decided to propose the adoption of the fire service plan at the June meeting of Offaly County Council, as originally presented by management, subject to the stations involved being reactivated, if and when, the necessary savings and changes have taken place within the fire service. It was also decided to continue to make available the €250,000 committed from other services for a period up to October to facilitate and encourage these changes." The Fianna Fáil county councillors are; Cllr Noel Bourke, Cllr Barry Cowen, Cllr Peter Ormond, Cllr John Foley, Cllr Ger Plunkett, Cllr Eamon Dooley, Cllr Sinead Moylan Ryan, Cllr Sinead Dooley and Cllr Danny Owens. Daingean Development Association released a statement saying they were disappointed to note that no agreement has been reached to keep the fire stations open. "If the fire stations close, this will be devastating to the local communities and could have far reaching consequences. The people of Daingean and Banagher would ask the executive committee and the unions to resume talks with a view to keeping the fire stations open," said the Daingean group.