A proposal to fill 53 vacancies in Dublin Fire Brigade has been agreed with representatives of firefighters' unions.
The plan, which has been worked out within the Croke Park Agreement, would also involve saving the service over €4m a year.
There is currently an estimated 80 vacancies in the fire brigade leading to cost overruns in overtime payments.
The proposal agreed with fire brigade management and the council will now go to ballot of SIPTU and IMPACT members among the 840 officers.
The plan would involve moving 28 qualified firefighters out of the Eastern Regional Control Centre and into operational duties.
These posts would then be replaced by external recruitment on a new grade of Emergency Service Controller to be paid 10% less than qualified firefighters.
However, those on this grade would qualify as firefighters after four years.
In addition, 25 firefighting posts will be filled by confined competition for staff in the four Dublin local authorities.
The agreement would also see the ending of six managerial posts that are currently vacant.
SIPTU's Owen Reidy said the plan, if accepted, would be an example of the Croke Park Agreement working.
He said: "It saves money for the Exchequer and provides efficiency while protecting the frontline, and the employment standards and jobs in Dublin Fire Brigade."
Independent City Councillor Christy Burke said the plan is a victory for common sense as overtime payments were running higher than the cost of recruitment.
