Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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160. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the supports available to small and medium enterprises to provide training to employees in order to comply with legislative requirements in terms of health and safety, manual handling, food hygiene, forklift driving and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2735/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Health and safety is crucial in the workplace, and there is a range of legislation underpinning the requirements to keep people safe. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national statutory body with responsibility for ensuring that approximately 1.8 million workers (employed and self-employed) and those affected by work activity are protected from work related injury and ill-health.The HSA does this by enforcing occupational health and safety law, promoting accident prevention, and providing information and advice across all sectors, including retail, healthcare, manufacturing, fishing, entertainment, mining, construction, agriculture and food services. For example in relation to manual handling, the HSA developed a manual handling training system, which includes a Level 6 Manual Handling Instruction and People Handling Instruction Awards managed by Quality and Qualifications in Ireland (QQI).

The HSA’s BeSmart () is a free, easy to use, online tool to assist small businesses in generating their own risk assessments and safety statements as required under health and safety legislation. The use of BeSMART can significantly reduce the administrative burden on businesses by:

- Reducing the amount of time employers spend preparing their risk assessments and safety statements;

- Reducing the dependence of many small businesses on costly external assistance for the production of safety documents;

- Eliminating the perception many employers have that they are not competent to develop their own safety documentation; and

- Increasing small business compliance levels as owners take more responsibility for day to day safety management.

In addition to the BeSMART programme the HSA has produced an on-line training management system () to reduce the cost of safety and health training to business, this has created further reductions in costs and improved competitiveness.

In addition there are Agencies under the remit of my Department who develop indigenous Irish businesses: Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). Enterprise Ireland is responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. The LEO is the First Stop Shop for anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs offer a range of supports including training to meet client needs. Details of training courses are available online at: and .

This Government is committed to supporting SMEs and has developed a specific Supporting SMEs campaign and a Supporting SMEs online tool, to help SMEs discover the over 80 supports available from Government Departments and Agencies. The tool can be accessed at: .