Response to SIPTU Statement regarding Sean Hogan, National Director for Fire and Emergency Management in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Patrick Fleming, Chief Fire Officer, Dublin Fire Brigade
Mr Eoghan Murphy TD, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, this evening expressed his full confidence in the work of two senior public service officials - Sean Hogan, National Director for Fire and Emergency Management in Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Patrick Fleming, Chief Fire Officer, Dublin Fire Brigade, who play a central leadership role in fire services and emergency management in Ireland.
“People will be surprised at this evening’s statement from SIPTU”,
Minister Murphy stated.
“Anyone who has seen the role that Sean Hogan has played in leading the country’s response to many national emergencies, most recently in relation to snow storm Emma at the beginning of this month, a role that I have witnessed first-hand myself, will recognise Sean’s extraordinary leadership ability, his sound judgement and sheer dedication to public service and public safety. Pat Fleming and Sean Hogan have made an extraordinary contribution to developing and implementing fire safety policy in their various roles in leading local authority delivered fire services in this country. This is what makes it hard to believe that SIPTU would issue a statement of the kind we saw today”,
continued Minister Murphy.
The Minister highlighted the role that Mr Fleming and Mr Hogan are playing in leading a fundamental change in how we manage fire risk in Ireland – this change of emphasis is in line with international best practice of preventing and building fire protection into buildings as well as having fire brigade response. The Minister also emphasised that fire safety policy, which has resulted in declining numbers of fires, as well as having smoke alarms in over 90% of households, is not a threat to our operational fire service.
While acknowledging the work of all local authority fire service staff, as described in the 2016 report “Fire Services in Ireland - Local Delivery – National Consistency”, http://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/fire-and-emergency-management/fire-services-ireland-local-delivery-national, Minister Murphy emphasised the importance of moving forward urgently with the implementation of vital national fire safety policy which would deliver better response times. In seeking full engagement with the new consultation process, the Minister added:
“We need to get on with urgent fire safety work and I look forward, in particular, to the finalisation of the report of the Fire Safety Task Force I set up in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which I expect to receive at the end of April, and implementing its recommendations.”