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Health and Safety Authority

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 March 2018

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Questions (228)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

228. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of requests for additional funding, staff resources or expertise that have been made by the Health and Safety Authority since January 2016; the purpose of the requested additional funding, staff resources or expertise; the response of her Department to each request in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13136/18]

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Written answers

Details in relation to additional funding and staffing requests from the Health and Safety Authority are set out in the tables.

It should be noted that given the role and remit of the Health and Safety Authority it is staffed by a mixture of technical expertise grades at inspector level and administrative grades. The technical inspector grades cover the Occupational Safety and Health remit of the Authority (which includes sectors such as construction, agriculture, mines and quarries, transport and storage and occupational health and welfare) as well as the Authority’s Chemicals Programme, Market Surveillance functions and INAB (Irish National Accreditation Board) Programmes.

My Department monitors the funding and staffing requirements of the HSA on an ongoing basis and works closely with the Health and Safety Authority in this regard with a view to ensuring that the HSA is properly resourced to the greatest extent possible.

Table 1: HSA Additional Funding January 2016 to date

Year

Purpose of Request

DBEI Response

2016

Additional ICT funding sought as well as   additional funding for targeted media campaigns in relation to worker safety and health in 2016.

Additional non-pay funding of €340,000 provided to HSA for 2016.

2017

Increase in core funding for pay, non-pay and pensions sought by the HSA in respect of the 2017 Estimates Submission as well as specific additional funding for safety promotion programmes.

Additional pay, non-pay and pensions funding provided to the HSA for 2017 i.e. pay allocation increased by €300,000 (with €150,000 to cover pay restoration under Lansdowne Road Agreement), non-pay allocation increased by €227,000 and pensions allocation increased by €41,000.

In additional a non-pay allocation of €400,000 as provided for safety promotion programmes.

2018

Increase in non-pay funding for 2018 to fund safety promotional and supporting activities in ongoing high-risk sectors sought in the context of the 2018 Estimates

Additional pay, non-pay and pensions funding provided to the HSA for 2018 i.e. pay allocation increased by €763,000  (€363,000 to cover costs under Lansdowne Road Agreement and €400,000 to cover additional Brexit related posts), non-pay allocation increased by €300,000 and pensions allocation increased by €100,000.

Table 2: HSA Staff Resources January 2016 to date

Number

Date of Request

Purpose of Request

Department Response

2016

1.

May

Replacement for Clerical Officer

Sanction Granted

2.

June

Replacement for Assistant Principal Officer

Sanction Granted

3.

August

Replacement Higher Executive Officer

Sanction Granted

4.

August

Replacement for Grade I Inspector

Sanction Granted

5.

August

Replacement for Grade II Inspector

Sanction Granted

6.

September

Replacement for Executive Officer

Sanction Granted

7.

October

Application to make Grade I Inspector substantive

Sanction Granted

8.

October

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

9.

December

New Clerical Officer post 

Sanction Granted

10.

December

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

11.

December

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

12.

December

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

2017

13.

January

New Clerical Officer post

Sanction Granted

14.

February

Executive Officer post

Sanction Granted

15.

March

New Assistant Principal Officer post

Sanction Granted

16.

March

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

17.

April

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

18.

May

Temporary replacement for Programme Manager

Sanction Granted

19.

June

Replacement for Grade II Inspector

Sanction Granted

20.

August

New Accreditation Officer Grade II Inspector post

Sanction Granted

21.

October

Application to make a HEO substantive

Sanction Granted

22.

November

Replacement for Grade III Inspector

Sanction Granted

23.

November

Temporary replacement for Assistant Chief Executive

Refused

24.

November

Replacement for Assistant Chief Executive Officer

Sanction Granted

25.

November

Replacement for Executive Officer

Sanction Granted

26.

December

Replacement for Chief Executive Officer

Sanction Granted

2018

27.

January

New Higher Executive Officer post

Application under consideration

28.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

29.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

30.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

31.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

32.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

33.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

34.

January

New Grade III Inspector post

Sanction Granted

35.

February

New Grade I Inspector post

Application under consideration

36.

February

New Assistant Principal Officer post

Application under consideration

37.

February

Temporary replacement for three Grade III Inspectors currently on extended leave

Application under consideration

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