asked the Minister for Labour if his attention has been drawn to the fears expressed by a group of county engineers about the carriage of chemicals on our roads, and if he will ensure that they are carried at all times in marked lorries and containers and in vehicles driven by experienced drivers during off-peak traffic hours, especially in built-up areas.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Carriage of Chemicals.
63.
My attention has been drawn to the matter raised by the Deputy.
Under the Dangerous Substances Act, which I brought into operation last September, I have already promulgated four sets of safety regulations relating to petroleum. In the area of road transport, regulations have been made for petroleum which is the most common dangerous substance conveyed in bulk on our roads. These regulations have been designed to ensure that vehicles carrying petroleum on public roads do so with the least risk of injury to persons or damage to property during transportation. Requirements cover the instruction, training and medical examination of drivers. The safety control measures for the vehicle cover the construction, testing and inspection of the carrying tanks and associated equipment. Marking and labelling of vehicles, containers and tanks in an approved manner is mandatory and safety information to deal with emergencies is required to be carried on all vehicles conveying volatile petroleum.
It is my intention to make an Order within the next month or so declaring twenty-five substances to be dangerous for the purposes of the Dangerous Substances Act. This list was drawn up by the Industrial Inspectorate of my Department following a survey to determine which dangerous substances are most commonly transported in this country. This list can be extended from time to time as the need arises.
I will also bring into operation at the same time as the declaration order a set of regulations controlling the conveyance by road of the twenty-five substances. These regulations will require that containers of dangerous substances being carried in a vehicle on roads must be labelled with information giving the name of the substances together with the appropriate danger symbols. Vehicles carrying dangerous substances will have to display markings conforming to internationally recognised systems. The regulations will further require the selection, where practicable, of routes avoiding areas of high population density and areas where contamination may affect water supplies.
Another set of regulations is in preparation to cover the loading, unloading and storage of the 25 dangerous substances already mentioned.
Why have these regulations not been brought in before now?
I am surprised that that question should come from that side of the House. Deputy Deasy should be aware that in 1972 the then Fianna Fáil Government passed through this House the Dangerous Substances Act. When I came the Department of Labour in 1977 that Dangerous Substances Act had lain on the stocks without ever being implemented.
It is still there after three years.
Fianna Fáil were there in 1972.
In 1972 Fianna Fáil passed the Dangerous Substances Act. From then until I went into office in 1977 no steps whatsoever were taken on this Act. For the Deputy's information it is a very extensive operation. In 1978 we set about preparing the draft regulations. In 1979 we moved an amendment through this House to enable me to implement the greater part of that Dangerous Substances Act. Five years had been lost during the Coalition Government's time in office.
What about the Minister's Government?
The Deputy should allow me to finish. The draft regulations on petroleum were first issued. The final regulations have since been issued. Now the dangerous substances have been listed and named. The regulations made on their conveyance, loading, unloading and so on are very substantial and I would hope, within a month or so, to sign the orders on the 25 substances to which I refer. I am very sorry to say that if progress had been made during the years of the Coalition Government then the whole task would not have fallen to me.
The Minister is getting very emotional about it.
Have any prosecutions been brought with regard to the petroleum regulations which the Minister has mentioned?
The Deputy must be aware that the regulations are only recently introduced. If the Deputy realised what is involved here he too would regret the four and a half wasted years because these regulations both in draft form and in final form are enormous. They have only recently been introduced. But it was because of my diligence and my concern in the matter that the progress that we have made up to date has been made.
Self praise is no praise.
A final supplementary from Deputy Quinn. Could we have a little peace for about ten minutes?
I do not wish to add to the level of toxicity which the Minister has introduced into this House, but in view of the fact that the Act was passed in 1972——
He does not understand the word.
——and manifestly was effective since it had to be amended in 1978, could the Minister indicate to the House the proposed method of policing the implementation of the regulations, what type of co-ordination there will be between his Department and the local authorities, what amendments, if any, there will be to the Road Acts to designate certain routes and—I shall ask them slowly if the Minister likes.
It seems to be a very long supplementary question. The Deputy had better put down a separate question.
What methods of policing are there, what staff is available, what co-ordination is there with local authorities and what interaction on, or amendments, if any, to the Road Acts in designating these limited routes over which vehicles carrying toxic substances can actually travel?
First of all, might I correct the Deputy—again, of course, a new Deputy in the House. There were no deficiencies in that Act but there was a reluctance on the part of the people concerned to implement the Act. Regarding the other items raised by the Deputy, in the case of the roads referred to, once the regulations regarding the roads, the markings and so on have been made and signed and the substances designated, the factory inspectorate of my Department will have power to regulate the routes, the loading, the off-loading and so on and to apply effectively all the regulations that will be laid down. I can assure the Deputy, if he would like to have a copy of the regulations, that they are very extensive and will take quite some reading. They are very thorough and, I believe, will be very effective.
If implemented.