Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick, the leader of the Fianna Fail Group on Dublin City Council, has welcomed the passing at the monthly meeting of the Council tonight of an emergency motion from the Fianna Fail Group calling for the continued provision of a combined fire, rescue and ambulance service by Dublin Fire Brigade.

Earlier in the evening Cllr Fitzpatrick had supported the public protest and march to City Hall by members of the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance Service to highlight growing concerns over any proposal from the HSE to take over the running of the city’s emergency ambulance service.

The motion passed by the City Council said: “The elected members of Dublin City Council commend Dublin Fire Brigade for their provision of emergency fire and ambulance service to the people of Dublin for more than 150 years. We call for the continued provision of a combined fire, rescue and ambulance service by Dublin Fire Brigade. We condemn the HSE’s years of underfunding of the service and call on the HSE to immediately provide full funding for the service”.