The fire officer has become a "toothless pussycat" in this age of the Celtic Tiger, according to Mr Michael Fitzsimmons, chairman of the Chief Fire Officers' Association.
He was speaking yesterday at the association's annual conference in Dungarvan, at which he called for an immediate review of the Fire Services Act "with a view to making it easier to prosecute those who deliberately break the law".
He said the Act was 18 years old and a number of legal challenges had resulted in making it an almost impossible task to punish someone who transgresses, except for major offences.