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

According to the documents provided to us, the HSA carried out in excess of 7,500 workplace inspections across all sectors, of which 7,400 addressed alleged breaches of the Covid-19 mitigation measures as provided for in the protocol. However, in its contact unit, the HSA handled 5,000 complaints, 47% of which related to Covid. Less than half of complaints were directly Covid related yet more than 95% of inspections related directly to breaches or alleged breaches of Covid mitigation measures. From these figures it would appear that the concentration on Covid, which I completely understand naturally had to come to the fore, was to the exclusion of other health, safety and welfare at work issues. Complaints were being made that were being ignored. My question is simple: is the Minister concerned that during the pandemic, under the cover of Covid, that breaches of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act were going undetected by virtue of the fact that the HSA, with the resources that it has, was concentrating almost exclusively on Covid-related measures?