Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I congratulate both Deputies for raising this matter. I suspect most people are not aware that 28 April is a day to mark better health and safety practices in the workplace. I congratulate both of them for raising the matter and highlighting it on the floor of Parliament. They are absolutely correct that there is a responsibility on the Government to respond to a long-standing report which came to a clear conclusion on the issue of corporate manslaughter. On coming into office the Government gave a very clear commitment that where we introduce new legislation at the very least we would do a regulatory impact statement on its effects. I understand from the Minister, Deputy Bruton, that this is ongoing. An interdepartmental group is working on it which expects to conclude at some stage over the next while. I presume the conclusion of this will be one way or the other whether we want to legislate. I will not speculate on what the outcome will be. I assure both Deputies the Government is taking the issue very seriously and we would not have established an interdepartmental group were this not the case.

It is very important to mention the extraordinary costs for the State associated with bad practice of work safety. I refer to the terrible and horrendous injuries that can be caused to workers in the course of their duties. The State must pick up the tab for this. This is a much wider issue. It is not just about the appalling tragedy for families who lose loved ones in terrible accidents. It is also about the enormous and ongoing costs the State must bear because of these bad practices which should have been highlighted in the workplace in the first place.

Deputy O'Brien asked me how many prosecutions there have been. I do not have the figure but I will ask the Minister to revert to him on the total number of prosecutions that have followed since the introduction of the legislation. It is important to put this on the record.

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