Vol. 403 No. 8
167 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the refurbishment of some local authority houses involves the stripping of asbestos materials; and if his Department have issued any guidelines to assist local authorities and their contractors in ensuring that the highest standards of safety are maintained.
The planning and carrying out of refurbishment schemes to their dwellings are matters for the local authorities. The European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations, 1989, provide for the safety of persons working with asbestos and require that the Health and Safety Authority, which is the relevant competent authority for this country, must be notified 28 days before asbestos is removed from a building. Primary responsibility for the safety of their workers rests with employers. The Health and Safety Authority advise on the provisions of the regulations and, where these provisions are not complied with, the authority take steps to enforce them.
