Many Donegal fire stations can't cater for women – SIPTU rep
Two women were on a shortlist to join the Donegal Fire Service but it has been claimed that inadequate facilities resulted in them not joining
Many of Donegal's fire stations do not have adequate facilities to cater for the recruitment of women, it has been claimed.
Earlier this year, Donegal County Council launched a recruitment drive for firefighters in the county.
There are around 165 personnel attached to the Donegal Fire Service at present with that number described as 'inadequate'. All of those working in the Donegal Fire Service are male.
Donegal's firefighters began a period of rolling strike action at midnight on Monday. Every day, firefighters at five of Donegal's 15 stations switch off their pagers for 24 hours.
Their union, SIPTU,is calling for improved pay and conditions to address what it says is a 'recruitment and retention crisis'.
SIPTU representative Kevin McKinney joined Donegal firefighters on the picket line on Tuesday and revealed that two women had been on a shortlist to join the service.
“They have not come on and the reason I have been given is that they don't have the facilities,” Mr McKinney told Donegal Live.
“If you can't produce facilities for a women in this day and age, when there is equal rights for everyone, what are we saying? It is a crying shame.
“We might get more women to join the service if they were more proactive. It's not enough to say it, you have to action it.
“We need to come in from the dark ages, The service now is not fit for purpose.”
Councillor Gerry McMonagle, who was one of the politicians joining the firefighters on Tuesday in Letterkenny, said the strike action this week 'is a cry out for support and help here'.
“We need to think about this,” he said. “The recruitment drive needs to recruit more women. Women need to be accommodated in the Fire Service because to not do that is discriminatory.”