Firemen who were forced to retire awarded €15,000
Carlow Fire Station Photo: John Courtney
TWO Co Carlow retained firefighters have been awarded €15,000 each by Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) following the decision to force their retirement at the age of 60.
The WRC has awarded SIPTU members Jimmy Murphy and Paul Curran, employed in the retained fire service of Co Carlow Fire and Rescue Service, €15,000 each due to them being forced to retire at the age of 60 when both wished to continue in their jobs.
The long-serving retained firefighters with the service were retired on their 60th birthdays, mere months before the mandatory retirement age in the retained fire service nationally was extended to 62 years of age in May 2024.
“I felt I had more to offer as a member of the fire service. This shows others thought so too,” said Paul Curran.
“Hopefully, it will entice former colleagues who feel aggrieved to look further, delve deeper and dig in.” SIPTU advocate Claire O’Connor remarked that in the two separate decisions the WRC had noted that the workers had been ‘left in limbo’ with no consideration given to their extension requests, either nationally or locally. “This was despite it being known that a further extension of the mandatory retirement age was imminent,” she said.
“These workers have a cumulative length of service of almost 70 years between them, during which time they have contributed valiantly to the protection of the community, participating in numerous lifesaving firefighting and rescue operations.
“It is unacceptable that they were so blithely cast aside by their local authority employer upon reaching a particular age, despite enjoying a certified clean bill of health,” said Claire.
SIPTU legal rights unit practitioner Roisin Boyle said: “These two decisions acknowledge and confirm the well-established principle that setting a retirement age in the workplace is discriminatory unless the employer has taken genuine steps to objectively justify the need for it. The acknowledgement of this principle is becoming increasingly important in recent years, with many workers wanting the option to remain in work for longer.” SIPTU sector organiser Brendan O’Brien also welcomed the decision on behalf of the retained firefighter members.
“Carlow Fire and Rescue Service should now accept the outcomes of these cases. Other fire and rescue service employers who have WRC cases involving their employees should also accept the outcome of these cases and apply them,” said Mr O’Brien said.
