asked the Minister for Labour if there is any statutory obligation on employers to ensure that their employees are adequately covered for personal injury and loss of personal effects in the event of industrial fires.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Losses in Industrial Fires.
35.
Under the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966, all workers employed in insurable (occupational injuries) employment must be insured by their employers against personal injury arising out of and in the course of such employment.
Can the Minister say if there is any provision whereby employees are covered for loss of employment and wages as such? Is he not aware that very few employers do in fact cover their workers in that regard and would he take steps to provide legislation, perhaps by way of amendment of the Factories Act, making it obligatory on employers properly comprehensively to cover employees against loss of employment, having particular regard to the losses sustained by 500 workers at Rawson's in Dundalk?
The Deputy's question refers to cover for personal injury and loss of personal effects in the case of industrial fires.
The question is deeper than that.
Not the question put down today. The Oireachtas is at the moment dealing with legislation covering redundancy.
Does the Minister not see the need for workers to be covered for loss of employment?
That is a separate question. The question put down relates to cover for personal injury and loss of personal effects.
If the Deputy wants to talk about Rawson's factory, I will. He has gone away from the question of personal injury through fire, and brings in employment, which is a subject we might have discussed under legislation which has gone through the House.