Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I welcome the Minister's assertion that a new offence of corporate manslaughter will be created. However I must be cynical about timing. We have been promised this since the publication of the Law Reform Commission's report. We were promised it would be incorporated in the health and safety at work Bill. Now, many months later, after the promised publication date, we are informed that it will not form part of that legislation. The mere fact that there will be a strengthening of the previous Act to deal with the issue of negligence causing death indicates that the implementation of the Law Reform Commission's report is very much long-fingered. Specifically when will we see the other legislation to incorporate the crime of corporate manslaughter? Is it the Minister's intention that will happen this year?

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