Ms Patricia King:

I thank Deputy Durkan. I will say two things. When we previously gave evidence before the committee, we spoke mainly about the national Return to Work Safely Protocol and its provisions. One of the key flaws in its implementation in meat factories relates to worker representation on the ground. Putting in place worker representation infrastructure is a key part of the protocol to facilitate quality interaction between the management and the workforce in the various work settings. That has not happened in meat factories. Worker representation infrastructure is very low-grade, although the employers do not agree with me on that. I have raised this matter on several occasions at the consultative forum on the implementation of the protocol and I have told the employers that I am very unhappy because the workforce representation has not been effective at all. There are many reasons for that which we can go into in more detail, and I am sure others will do so.

Second, it is untenable that the HSA, which is assigned in law the responsibility for overseeing the implementation of all aspects of the protocol, has the power to inspect workplaces and order closure where appropriate and is there to maintain the health and safety of workers and protect them in the workplace, is not even notified when a worker contracts Covid. We have to get our heads around that. I realise the import of what I am saying, but all the indicators are that the HSA does not want to be notified of such cases. It does not want this task. From day one, I have had this argument with Government representatives. I am on record on this matter and am blue in the face writing about it. Two weeks ago, I met the Tánaiste and for the first time he said he would consider the points we were making about this issue.

If we have a Health and Safety Authority, HSA, charged with the protection and the prevention of injury and so on to workers in workplaces and it is not even notified, does not do the inspections and does not go to the place to find out what happened and give advice on what should happen to prevent it happening again, we will arrive in all sorts of a mess. It says it is a public health issue, which it is, and as the members know the public health people operate under legislation from 1981. They go and do what they have to do to protect not just in the workplace but they are also very interested in the spread of this virus in terms of the community. That is their job but there is no emphasis satisfactorily in that regard. That has to be put right and we believe there is a swift way of doing that.