Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today's edition of The Irish Times carries a report of a letter that the chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority has been forced to write to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation about the devastation of the authority and its staff due to the "accelerated and additional cut in resources proposed" for the authority. He further warns that the proposed cuts will lead to preventable increases in the number of deaths and serious accidents and illnesses in the workplace. In other words, people may die. These are not my words but those of an authority that is not known for exaggeration or hyperbole. In 2012, 47 people lost their lives in workplace accidents, and to date in 2013 there have been six workplace deaths. That is a total of 53 lives, on average almost one a week. We all agree that those lives could have been saved and those accidents should not have happened. That is why we support the work of the Health and Safety Authority.

Yesterday many of the Tánaiste's colleagues spoke of "agonising" about the decision to abolish the various mobility allowances. On this occasion, however, they do not need to agonise. The Government has been put on notice by the authority charged by the Government with protecting people who work that it is not in a position to fulfil its role. It has put the Government on notice that its inability to fulfil its role will lead to preventable increases in the number of deaths and serious accidents and illnesses in the workplace. It is as stark as that. There is no need to agonise over saving the lives of workers. There is clearly a need to save workers and their families from having to agonise over serious injury or fatal accidents. What is the Tánaiste's position on this letter and the cuts approved by the Minister? Does he as Tánaiste and leader of the Labour Party intend to engage with the Health and Safety Authority on this issue?

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