Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

We know the view of the Law Reform Commission from its first report, which recommended the creation of such an offence. What we are waiting for now is the detail. We have a responsibility as legislators to legislate. Since the Law Reform Commission is of the view that we should have such an offence, the trade union movement is strongly of that view and most citizens would agree that negligence to such an extent that a worker dies in the place of work is a serious offence, I feel there is public support for my proposal.

God knows when we will have another vehicle to put this legislation in place. We do not know whether it will be two, three or ten years before another health and safety Bill is before the House. We have one now and we know it is right to do this. All we need from the Law Reform Commission is its attitude to the detail of the offence. It behoves us as legislators to provide that detail. We do not need the Law Reform Commission to draft legislation in many areas. The Minister of State should seize the moment, he should seize this opportunity to send a signal, particularly in the backdrop of the significant rise in fatalities.

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