Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Last year, there were fewer workplace inspectors than there were dog wardens in the country. There are roughly the same number of workplace inspectors as there are special advisers for the Government. The HSA is the body tasked with inspecting workplaces. It was the agency appointed in the pandemic to ensure that workers' lives and health were not being put at risk by penny-pinching bosses but all the indications are that the Government turned a blind eye to the meat factories and to workplaces generally. That is reflected in the guidelines issued yesterday. It is issuing a guideline in terms of households but it is not doing anything about workplaces, which is the main place the virus is spreading. How many new HSA workplace inspectors will be hired? Will there now be regular, unannounced inspections at the meat plants? Will there be inspections at offices and other workplaces to ensure that companies that can have their workers working from home are allowing their workers to work from home instead of forcing them to come in? What sanctions will there be for bosses who break the rules?

See this speech in context