A Longford councillor has described the working conditions of retained firefighters as 'draconian'.
It comes as fire stations across the region began industrial action today.
With the threat of all-out industrial action potentially on the horizon from next week, pressure is mounting to deliver a solution
Councillor Peggy Nolan says the current demands on retained firefighters are simply unacceptable
"What they are working under are draconian rules and regulations. They can't retain the firefighters when they recruit them because it is so stringent, the rules and regulations that they have to do adhere to. They can't recruit firefighters and they can't retain the firefighters that they have. So, that in itself is proving that what they are looking for is a situation whereby they can recruit new firefighters and they can retain and look after the ones that are already in place"