Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator may be mistaken. Inspectors have always had the power to inspect. The Bill provides that for the purposes of the Act an inspector may enter at all reasonable times a place of work or any premises to do the work that inspectors do. This power is essential to their normal everyday work. Subsection (2) provides that an inspector may in certain limited circumstances be accompanied by a Garda, but only where he or she deems it appropriate.If the party was under some sort of duress, he or she could ask to be accompanied by a garda. If the party was accompanied by a garda and the process was subject to warrant, that would have to be respected as well. The Senator's amendment would inadvertently require all inspectors entering the premises to have a garda with them. That would be totally impractical. Inspections occur on a regular basis in workplaces to ensure compliance. This is part of an effective inspection service. The next section indicates that an inspector shall not enter a dwelling except under certain circumstances, so any entrance to a dwelling would be done in accordance with the law as set out in the next subsection. The Senator's amendment probably goes too far.

I may come back to subsection (4) on Report Stage.