Retained firefighters, who say they account for over 65 per cent of the State's fire service, have expressed anger that they will be forced to pay the new public service pension levy, despite the fact that most will never receive a pension.
The National Retained Fire-Fighters Association of Ireland said retained firefighters are on call "24 hours a day, 365 days a year".
In addition, they are required to live and work within a two-mile radius of their stations and therefore may not be entitled to claim jobseeker's benefit if they lose their full-time jobs because of their commitment to the safety and welfare of their communities.
"This pension levy will put a huge financial strain on the retained fire-fighters in this country and therefore the National Retained Fire-Fighters Association are calling on the Minister for Finance to immediately re-consider the grossly unfair tax on its members," a statement said.