James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

332. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of the provision of a defibrillator in each public building owned by his Department and agency under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45971/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Office of Public Works acts as an agent for all Government Departments and is responsible for the provision of Government offices from the State portfolio or by lease agreement. Accordingly, my Department does not own any office buildings.

Any estimated costings of defibrillators would be contingent on the variety of defibrillator models available, together with custom-built storage and training requirements. 

Though there is no specific statutory legal requirement to provide a defibrillator in the workplace, as a risk management measure, my Department has installed defibrillators in its main office locations in Athlone, Dublin and Tullamore.

In addition, my Department promotes a policy of extensive recruitment and training of Occupational First Aiders from within its internal staff cohort. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an integral component of all such training programmes.

With regard to the agencies under the aegis of my Department, the information sought is a matter for each body and is not collated centrally.  The agencies under the Department’s aegis are available at.