Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 3

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety.

David Stanton

Question:

48 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence the members, appointments and expertise of the Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety; the criteria involved in selecting these; the individuals who carried out this selection; the procedure used in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23040/97]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

The Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety is a standing committee of the Defence Forces tasked with advising Defence Forces personnel on all matters concerning safety in the Defence Forces and in particular overseeing the implementation of all aspects of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989. The committee is part-time selected and appointed by the Quartermaster-General on the basis of the expertise of the members in the specific area of safety and other specialist disciplines such as engineering, medicine, law and science.

There is continuous co-operation between the Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety and the Health and Safety Authority and in the initial stages of the committee's work, an official from the Health and Safety Authority sat with the committee to guide it.

Various members of the committee including safety advisers from each of the four commands, the Naval Service and the Air Corps hold a Diploma in Safety, Health and Welfare from UCD. Senior officers from the Engineer Corps, the Medical Corps and Legal Officers, all of whom are graduates in their different disciplines are members of the committee.

I am satisfied that the Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety does an excellent job in dealing with all safety matters relating to the Defence Forces. The Health and Safety Authority's Advisory Committee on the Defence Forces, which examined all aspects of the implementation of safety standards within the Defence Forces, paid special tribute to the work of the Defence Forces Advisory Committee on Safety.