Labour Court recommends Dublin-Kildare fire service safety review

The Labour Court recommended a review of changed work practices for Dublin Fire Brigade responses to incidents near the Dublin-Kildare border. It said a body with representatives of Dublin City Council and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union should review the impact of the changes. The recommendation was signed on 4 December 2013. The unions argued that existing Dublin-area practices were appropriate without a comprehensive risk assessment and sought an expert review. Management said traffic congestion made response times uncertain and that it had carried out a risk assessment. The Court recommended that discussions take place under the Health & Safety Authority or an appropriate independent expert, with the review completed by 28 February 2014.