By Sarah Bardon
The Mirror
DUBLIN — Firefighters attacked in the line of duty get no compensation, union bosses revealed yesterday.
Under the current scheme, gardai, prison officers and psychiatric staff are entitled to pay-outs in the event of a workplace assault — but firefighters are left paying their own bills.
They do get full wages for any time they have to take off work.
However, plans to include fire brigade staff in existing compensation packages are currently being discussed.
Siptu Dublin Fire Brigade official John Kidd claimed “90 or more” firefighters are attacked every year but are being treated as “second-class citizens” compared to other front-line employees.
It also emerged one firefighter has written to the Department of Local Government urging them to take action.
Jonathon Forbes, 27, needed 35 stitches in his face after he was hit by an unopened beer bottle thrown through the window of his vehicle in June 2006.
His attacker Darren Lindsay, 22, from Ringsend, Dublin, was given a four-year suspended sentence and fined EUR15,000 at a court case two months ago.
While Jonathon was paid in full during his recuperation period he has not received any official compensation.
Mr. Kidd said a no-fault damages scheme for crews was drawn up by an independent solicitor late last year and agreed by Dublin Fire Brigade management, but has yet to be implemented for “financial reasons”.
A spokesman for the service said the matter was still under discussion but assured firefighters all sides were working to have them covered.
On Saturday, a leaked study from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found almost all firefighters have been assaulted during their career.
The Violence In The Workplace report said crews are suffering a host of physical and verbal assault on a daily basis.
It was also noted one in five had been attacked 10 times in the last 12 months.
Fireman needed 35 stitches after bottle was thrown through engine window
Copyright 2008, The Mirror