Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The Bill places considerable emphasis on prevention. The risk assessment statement and the safety statement are very important tools. I am taken by the point made by Senator Cummins on the annual review. There is some evidence to suggest that people hang their hats on that provision and feel it is the only requirement of them. There are workplaces where far more frequent reviews are required. On the other hand, it is fair to say that there are workplaces where the level of risk does not change much and the annual requirement for risk assessment contributes to an additional cost burden.

I quite like the amendment, but there are number of areas where I would change the wording. I will come back with an amendment on Report Stage which goes along with the principle proposed by Senator Cummins.