Call for new Donegal fire service water tanker to be located in Inishowen

For a number of years, Inishowen’s county councillors have called for a fire service water tanker to be located in the peninsula and Colr Martin McDermott previously moved a motion at council to ask this to be expedited.

Inishowen councillors were then left angry and frustrated when, in June 2022, it was announced that a new water tanker was coming to Donegal to help support the fire service, but would be located in Letterkenny.

Speaking at this week’s Inishowen Municipal District meeting, Colr McDermott said he has ‘heard through the economic section’ of the council that an ‘order’ has been put it for another tanker. He said councillors in Inishowen will not allow it to be sent outside the peninsula.

"I want to make it very, very clear. We, in this peninsula, will not allow a fire tanker to be taken away from the peninsula. The last one went to Letterkenny when the nine councillors in Inishowen initially brought the issue forward.”

Colr McDermott said he wants his comments and call for the water tanker to be located in Inishowen taken back to the Director of the Fire Service, the Chief Fire Officer in Donegal and the Chief Executive of the council.

"Let them be very clear and I’m sure I have the backing of the other councillors – this fire tanker is for this peninsula’.

Colr McDermott received the support of his fellow councillors, who agreed the tanker must be located in Inishowen.