Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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264. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the health and safety framework of each commercial and non-commercial State agency; when the health and safety policy of each was last reviewed; when the safety statement of each was last reviewed; if each body has a health and safety committee and when this was last elected; if each has a health and safety representative and when this person was last elected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29576/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Social Protection has a Safety Statement that is up-dated annually. The current statement was signed by the Secretary General on 19 January 2016. This statement is available on the Departments intranet and is available for all staff to see.

The Department has a National Health & Safety Committee which is a sub Committee of Departmental Council. The Committee is chaired by the head of the Department’s Facilities Management Unit. The official side of the Committee is represented by staff dealing with Health and Safety and Accommodation in the Department. The staff side includes representatives from the various staff unions.

The Committee meets on a quarterly basis, the most recent meeting being held on 19 September.

Agencies

Pensions Authority

The Pensions Authority has a safety statement in place. This statement was last reviewed in September 2016. The Pensions Authority also has a health and safety representative who was appointed in April 2016. The Corporate Services team is the health and safety committee.

Citizens Information Board

The Citizens Information Board has a safety statement in place. This statement was last reviewed in 2015. The Citizens Information Board has a Health & Safety Committee and members were elected to the Committee in October 2012. The Citizens Information Board has a safety representative who was elected in October 2012. The Health & Safety section last updated the staff resource pack in 2015.