Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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33. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [29566/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I want to assure the Deputy that my Department takes very seriously its obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and is working to strengthen the safety culture within the organisation and in the Agencies under its aegis to ensure that all employees are aware of the importance of health and safety and are committed to continuous improvement.

The remit of my Department and its agencies/services includes personnel located in multiple locations across the country but does not have any commercial State Bodies under its aegis. The Department is in the process of recruiting an external safety expert to advise and manage the development of a Safety Management System, both for Department offices and agencies under the aegis of the Justice Vote. This will enable us to building on existing practices in a more planned, professional and systemic way.