Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I would say there is. It is one of those things that maybe we did not talk about for a long time. There was probably a bit of stigma associated with it. Certainly from talking to my father, it was not the case that back in the eighties there was no bullying going on in the workplace. That is not the case. There just was nowhere to report it and a culture whereby people were expected to toughen up and they would be grand. I had another question but I wanted to speak on this issue because I have an interest on it.

In the opening statement, in point 22, reference was made to structures and work processes having undergone a significant transformation. That is 100% right. The world of work does not look like the world of work when I started or when anyone else in this room started. Some of it is good and some it clearly is not but I am delighted to see that it has been referenced because it is something I speak about myself. Will the witnesses talk a bit about the changes in the world of work that have brought in to being new workplace hazards? What are the hazards the HSA has identified? What can we, as legislators, do to strengthen protection for workers in this regard? I am aware the HSA has published its joint guidance to assist employers to manage the risk of exposure to sensitive content. This is an issue in which I have taken a particular interest and campaigned on and on which the committee had hearings. How is the psychoclinical risk assessment document progressing? How is the HSA investigating in this area specifically? Notwithstanding the document, which is good, do the witnesses feel there is a need for regulation in primary law or is there enough? I am talking specifically about protecting workers in this new world and this new health and safety frontier.