Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The courts should not prevent the State or indeed the Minister of State from investigating what we have been discussing here and what has been brought before the courts by a small number of current and former officers. Let me set the scene: a dilapidated mechanics workshop; oil everywhere; carcinogenic chemicals spilt on the floor and around the sink; highly dangerous long-life chemicals poured into the outside grass area; chemicals mixing and causing plumes of toxic smoke; broken equipment; no storage area; and most importantly, no respirators, overalls, gloves and so forth that might be capable of protecting those ordered to handle these dangerous chemicals. On top of this there are no wash facilities so chemically stained clothing is being washed at home in the same load as children's clothes. Men who have been falling around due to inhaling toxic chemicals are disciplined for being off sick; others develop headaches; and finally, most seriously, we get clusters of highly complicated medical conditions, miscarriages and birth defects among those working in such conditions. This is what the whistleblowers asked the Minister of State to look into and this has been going on for years. There was and still seems to be a cover-up here. The health and safety recommendations might have dealt with these working conditions had they only been acted upon at the time.

When will the Minister of State set up the full forensic inquiry deemed necessary by Mr. Christopher O'Toole to establish the veracity of the whistleblowers' statements? Is he going to wait for the courts to force him to act?

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