Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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We are living in an extreme weather event right now in that there has been flooding all over the country. These events are becoming much more normal and routine. What is not normalised are what protections there are for workers. It was very moving to be at a press event organised by Unite last week to hear the parents of Matthew Campbell, an electrician who died in a storm in the North of Ireland. We are seeing the impact on homes but there is also a massive impact on workers. In summary, workers have no rights in law to say no, if their employer presses them to go to work because there is no such thing as climate leave. Workers reported being docked pay, having to take unpaid leave and having to use annual leave. In some cases, according to a Unite survey, a third of people were not able to work from home during the most recent major storm.

This is about a demand. The Government needs to give workers rights - not to ask their employers but rights - to be able to protect themselves in extreme weather events. They should have actual leave that exists and not use their own leave or whatever. It is extremely important that this is built upon.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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This is very simple. We need extreme weather legislation to protect workers. We do not have it now and the result is workers' lives and health are put at risk. One worker responded to the Unite survey about how their employer acted during Storm Éowyn stating:

The company were more interested in production than employees' safety. Because there is no clear legislation around extreme weather events, it is left to employers' discretion to do what they want. Unfortunately, employers only concern is profit so they will choose to ignore weather warnings if it suits their agenda.

This is going to be an issue more and more. It is an issue now and will be an issue tomorrow. Tragically, it was an issue for Matthew Campbell, an electrician who was killed in 2018 while working in a forest during Storm Ali. His dad Mark told us at a press event last week that his son would be alive today if legislation like Unite is seeking had been in place then in the North. I hope no more workers have to die on this island before we have workers' rights legislation to protect people from extreme weather events to ensure their employers cannot put their lives at risk in order to maximise their own profits.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank Unite the Union for putting the spotlight on the issue of the need for policy and legislation addressing protections for workers in extreme weather events. The one point I will add to that of colleagues is the impact of extreme heat. It is hard to make the case about that tonight of all nights, but we know we will have more incidences of extreme heat in our summers. We know this will impact vulnerable people, the young, the elderly and people with underlying conditions. Some of these will be workers. Some will be workers operating in difficult conditions outdoors and people working in agriculture, maybe in overheated warehouses.

Right now the Department of Health and HSE do not record data on excess deaths from extreme events or prolonged heat events. That is not the Minister of State's Department, but it has to change. If we are not recording these excess deaths, we cannot put in place the measures to protect vulnerable people and workers in times of extreme heat.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. I acknowledge Unite’s concerns and those of the family of the late Matthew Campbell regarding the protection of workers from extreme weather events. These concerns are understandable and the well-being of workers in all conditions must remain a priority. I am satisfied, however, that strong protections already exist in current Irish legislation.

Ensuring that Irish workplaces are healthy and safe is a key priority for me and for our Department. A robust occupational safety and health regulatory framework is in place, which is essential in supporting that priority and the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, plays a vital role in delivering it. Irish law already regulates work carried out in high or low temperatures. Employers are legally required to assess the health and safety risks present in their workplace, including risks from excessive heat, storms or driving for work. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employers must conduct a risk assessment, identify hazards, evaluate the risks they pose and put appropriate measures in place to protect employees. Extremes of temperature are defined as a hazard and must be addressed accordingly.

Although there are no plans at present to introduce paid climate leave for extreme weather events, the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, provides guidelines on employer and employee rights and responsibilities during severe weather. The guidance is available to the public on the WRC website. Any arrangement with regard to the provision of paid leave during extreme weather events is a matter for agreement between the employer and the employee. Some employers provide for such leave as part of their policies and it may be provided for in a contract of employment between the employer and employee.

My Department met officials of Unite to discuss their proposals and offered to facilitate engagement between Unite and the HSA on this matter. I encourage Unite to accept this offer to explore ways to further enhance and amplify messaging regarding extreme weather risks in the workplace.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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The Minister of State summed it up. It is a matter for agreement between employers and employees so it is up to individual employers. He also mentioned guidelines. Guidelines are not legislative protection. We also have a large number of migrant workers. We have unorganised workers or non-unionised workers who do not have the power to say "No" to their employers.

I will finish by highlighting what has been done in Spain to show the Minister of State how climate leave might work. Climate leave legislation was passed in Valencia. It provides for four days paid leave if extreme weather makes it impossible to travel to work, with the possibility of this being extended. Four days paid leave are also available if workers need to address needs at their homes as a result of their children not being able to go to school or damage to their home and property. After four days, businesses can declare force majeure and get Government assistance. There is an example of it being done.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The Minister of State is satisfied that strong protections already exist. He should look at the evidence. Unite carried out a survey. Is the Minister of State satisfied about the 48% of workers who went to work during Storm Éowyn who said they did not feel safe? Is he satisfied that 53% of those who worked outdoors during the storm felt their employer had not taken all reasonable precautions to make their work safe? These are unionised workers. That means it will be a lot worse for non-unionised workers. If the Government does not give people legal protections, it is leaving them prey for their employers to put pressure on them to make them work in unsafe conditions. We need a legal obligation on employers to have graduated alert-based responses. We need a legal requirement that, where work is required to cease, workers are paid as usual. We need paid climate leave, maximum temperatures at work and recognition of temperature-related illness as occupational disease.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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We can do better than this. Tonight, thousands of people, including me, will get home safely due to the hard work of workers in our public transport companies on an absolutely grim night. We have to recognise that our climate is changing and the employee protections in place at the moment will also have to change.

On the point about the graduated warning system, our approach to closing schools and childcare facilities changed when we introduced that system. We have to look at its impacts on workers, particularly those in the most vulnerable areas.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I reaffirm that worker safety remains a core priority of our Department's ethos.

The existing legislative framework I outlined is strong, comprehensive and designed to ensure employers assess risk and take all necessary steps to protect staff from extreme temperatures and other hazards. While there are currently no plans to introduce paid leave for extreme weather events, guidance is available with regard to employers' and employees' rights and responsibilities during severe weather events. The HSA has a key role to play in this regard and it provides guidance, oversight and timely communication during these events, ensuring that workplaces are fully informed about their obligations and fully prepared.

I reiterate my Department’s offer for further engagement with Unite to facilitate engagement with the HSA. That is where this conversation needs to start, discussing how we can further enhance and amplify messaging and continue to ensure our workplaces are safe during these events.