Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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49. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the full year 2022 budget for Health and Safety Authority inspections. [41261/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Exchequer allocation for the Health and Safety Authority for 2022 has not yet been determined.

The 2021 Exchequer allocation for the Health and Safety Authority is €24.75m which covers pay, pension and non-pay costs. This allocation enables the Health and Safety Authority to deliver on a broad remit of work across a wide mandate which includes occupational health and safety, chemical safety, market surveillance and national accreditation.

In the area of occupational health and safety the Health and Safety Authority is involved in the provision of advice, tools, education and support as well as inspection, investigation and prosecutions. In any given year the Health and Safety Authority carries out circa 10,000 inspections and investigations under safety, health and chemicals legislation. The focus on inspection and investigation is risk based and evidence led with the highest levels of inspections and investigations taking place in construction, agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale and retail with written advice, improvement notices and prohibition notices for more serious breaches observed.

The costs associated with the Health and Safety Authority’s inspection function arise in the context of both pay and non-pay costs associated with preparation for inspections, carrying out of inspections, follow-up to inspections including any enforcement action being pursued.