Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019
6. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his attention or that of his predecessors has been drawn to correspondence in 2016 between the HSA and the Air Corps regarding personal protective equipment (details supplied); if so, the action taken on foot of the correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35006/19]
View answerAs I outlined to the Deputy in my reply to her Parliamentary Question of 27 November 2018, following three inspections at casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel during 2016, the Health and Safety Authority issued a Report of Inspection to the Air Corps on 21 October 2016. This report listed a number of advisory items for follow up including the provision and use of personal protective equipment.
The resultant Air Corps improvement plan confirmed the Air Corps' full commitment to implementing improved safety measures that protect workers and ensure risks are as low as reasonably practicable. The improvement plan was implemented over eight phases, seven of which the military authorities have advised are now complete, while phase eight, chemical awareness training and respiratory equipment training, is a continuous process.
