David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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175. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if persons are required to hold a valid CSCS, construction skills certification scheme, trainee card during the time they are building up their six months' experience on their desired plant or machine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8199/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the persons within SOLAS, the approved training centres and the Health and Safety Authority, who are responsible for checking that CSCS trainee cards are being issued and held for a minimum of six months before persons are attending training centres for certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8200/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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177. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures that are or will be put in place to ensure that operators are only being certified after having held a trainee card for at least six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8201/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 177, inclusive, together.

Schedule 5 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 sets out the occupations which are covered under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. Individuals working in construction in any of the occupations listed in Schedule 5 of the Construction Regulations are legally required to be in possession of a current SOLAS CSCS Registration Card. In order to qualify for a CSCS Registration Card applicants are required to have six months experience under direct supervision of a competent supervisor before presenting themselves for the CSCS training and assessment programme. On successful completion of this programme candidates are awarded QQI Certification and are issued with a CSCS Registration Card which is valid for a period of 5 years.

While there is no legal requirement for candidates to hold a CSCS trainee card while attaining the 6 months experience, SOLAS does offer a CSCS New Entrant Plant Operator course as an introduction course for new entrants. The course introduces participants to good practices and provides an opportunity for participants to become familiar with the particular item of plant they intend to operate. The course gives new entrants a good grounding in the safe operation of plant machinery before embarking on their training period on site. On successful completion of this course, participants receive a SOLAS CSCS Trainee Registration Card with an expiry date of two years from the date of the course.