Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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604. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a company (details supplied) was awarded the contract for provision of SafePass online for SOLAS; when the newly awarded contractor for online SafePass provision will begin online renewals for SafePass; if the same consumer cost savings available in the UK, currently £36, will be passed on to workers requiring online SafePass renewals here which currently cost €200; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9437/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, craft and general construction workers, persons undertaking on-site security work and persons or classes of persons as may be prescribed by the relevant Minister are required to hold a safety awareness registration card (Safe Pass card). 

SafePass training and assessment delivery has mirrored construction sector activity during the COVID-19 period and has now fully recommenced. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the running of face to face programmes is subject to adherence with the SOLAS Standard Operational Pandemic Containment Guidelines.  These Guidelines included a reduction in the maximum numbers of learners who may physically attend a course.  In a number of cases this has led to a temporary increase in course costs for individual learners.

SafePass training is delivered by SOLAS Approved Training Organisations and tutors. These are private providers and neither the Department nor SOLAS have a role in the setting of fees or in influencing pricing structure within the market place. There is a €32 fee payable to SOLAS for the processing, manufacturing and distribution of SafePass cards which is unchanged and is generally included in the overall price for attending a course.

SOLAS is actively pursuing the activation of an online assessment option for the renewal of Safe Pass cards. In keeping with procurement procedures and government guidelines SOLAS went to tender for this service in June 2021. Following a competitive procurement process, SOLAS has identified a preferred vendor. Final arrangements are being made for the roll out of the new system and additional information, including the go live date, will be notified to the sector as soon as possible.