Around 200 firefighters from across the country have marched on the Dáil concerned about cuts to crew levels.

The Department of the Environment wants to reduce the number of people who attend certain fires as part of the 'Keeping Communities Safe' plan.

However, SIPTU says those cuts would endanger firefighters and pose a risk to public safety.

SIPTU says the proposals could see reductions of one or two crew members per appliance.

The department insists changing the crew number would simply keep Ireland in line with international norms.

Ciaran Scallan is chair of the SIPTU retained firefighters national committee, and a firefighter in Co Wexford.

He says the cuts will change the way they treat a blaze.

Last month, retained fire services were balloted for industrial action over the issue.

About two thirds of firefighters in Ireland are known as retained firefighters - while they are trained firefighters they are not full-time, but paid a retaining fee and paid on a per-call basis.

Retained firefighters and stations are located primarily in smaller towns and rural locations - where the number of calls, risk factors and cost dictate against a full-time brigade.