Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason regulations in the safety, health and welfare at work (construction) regulations 2006 are being postponed until 9 July 2009 as stated in S.I. No. 130 of 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19411/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Statutory Instrument 130 of 2008 deferred the introduction of the requirement for employers to provide training to employees in respect to specific tasks listed in Schedule 4 of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 (S. I. No. 504 of 2006). The tasks involved are:

(i) mobile tower scaffold (where the employee has not been trained in basic or advanced scaffolding),

(ii) signing, lighting and guarding on roads,

(iii) locating under-ground services, and

(iv) shotfiring.

The reason for the deferral was that, due to problems in the accessing of certified training courses, it was not practicable for the required numbers of employees to obtain the required competence levels to obtain the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card as described in the 2006 regulations. It should be noted, however, that the recent statutory instrument did not defer the introduction of the requirement for competence and CSCS recognition for other tasks listed in the 2006 Construction Regulations. These tasks are:

(i) self erecting tower crane operation — where the employee has not been trained in tower crane operation

(ii) mini-digger operation — where the employee has not been trained in 1800 excavator operation.