Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State for his comments. I am sure Opposition Deputies will do so also. A very useful innovation in my experience was the written responses to amendments tabled on Committee Stage to enable the logic of the Minister of State's argument be digested in advance of Report Stage. I commend that to the House for other Ministers to copy.

I want to raise two brief issues. We will have a very robust and modern legislative framework to improve health and safety, which is clearly required with the backdrop of the 40% rise in fatalities in the workplace in the first four months of this year. All the legislation will be worthless, however, if we do not put in place an enforcement regime that will provide adequate labour inspectors to ensure compliance with the law.

Unfortunately, that has not been the experience to date. I thank the Minister of State and his officials for the open way in which they dealt with Opposition amendments.

I remarked previously about predetermined views in the House. Despite that they are, by and large, very worthwhile, we often undermine ourselves in the way we approach partnership arrangements. We should work as an Oireachtas to incorporate initiatives in the House and hold the relevant debates at committee meetings attended by outside experts. If we fail to continue to make the Oireachtas the most relevant forum for debates on legislation, we will undermine the democratic process over time.

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