Dáil debates

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Workplace Ventilation (Covid-19) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

11:42 am

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate that the Government supports the principle, and the objectives behind this Bill. I assure the Deputy Murphy that the Minister of State, Deputy English, and his officials, will work with him on determining the best approach to achieving its objectives. It is important that the objectives of the Bill can be delivered in an effective and efficient way.

Officials of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will also engage with the HSA to determine the best mechanisms for the delivery of the objectives of the Bill, including compliance checks across workplaces, and to determine the potential impact on the authority and how this can be addressed.

Since the arrival of Covid-19, it is clear that the vast majority of employers, business managers and employees have stepped up and implemented not only the requirements, but also in the spirit, of the work safely protocol, which sets out the public health measures to be taken in the workplace to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19. As alluded to earlier, ventilation is covered in the protocol and Government's expert group on ventilation supports the manner in which ventilation is addressed in the protocol.

When it comes to working together to deal with Covid-19 in the workplace, the majority of employers and employees have neither been found wanting or been reluctant to embrace new measures and updated advice as time has moved on and levels of knowledge and expertise have improved.

I would stress to Deputy Murphy that we are not starting from scratch here. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 create a requirement on employers to make sure that there is an adequate supply of fresh air - ventilation - in enclosed areas of the workplace. The evaluation of ventilation in a workplace should form part of an overall workplace risk assessment.

The HSA currently has enforcement powers to seek improvement in ventilation in workplaces. In parallel with the work safely protocol, the authority has also produced a ventilation check list for employers to assist then to comply with the protocol. The authority will also put a greater emphasis on the general provision of adequate workplace ventilation over the coming months.

What we all need to do is to ensure is that any further enhancements in our collective approach to better workplace ventilation are carried out in a thorough, effective and streamlined manner.

Finally, I understand that officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the HSA would like an opportunity to meet with the Deputy prior to Committee Stage to discuss the Bill and how its objectives can be achieved speedily and implemented in a practical way.

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