Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The funding is for additional inspectors in the main so that the HSA can step up its existing work around health and safety, which it has been doing for a long time, and its Covid-related inspections as well to make sure that workplaces are up to code when it comes to the Return to Work Safely Protocol, which we will be updating in the next couple of days. In terms of the numbers, I do not have the exact numbers. In terms of inspections done, from 18 May to 6 November the HSA undertook 6,271 inspections and investigations, of which 4,271 addressed compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol. The finding was that 92% of workplaces were broadly compliant and had measures in place, 77% had response plans in place and 70% had a lead worker representative. In the same period, over 18,000 inspections were carried out in compliance with the protocol. To cut a long story short, the additional money is for extra staff to enable the HSA to do more inspections. I will try to get the Deputy a bit more detail on what we expect in terms of outcomes.