Vol. 396 No. 9
80 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for the Marine the scheme, if any, which exists within his Department or elsewhere to compensate or assist dock workers or seamen who are accidently or otherwise injured in the course of their work and where no policy of insurance exists to help adequately such workers; if he will make a statement on the proposals, if any, he has to establish such a scheme if none exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Government has an occupational injuries scheme, administered by the Department of Social Welfare, which provides statutory insurance against contingencies resulting from accidents in employment or certain diseases developed from such employment.
Dock workers employed under a contract of service will normally be insured under the scheme and qualified for benefit. In addition, Irish people who are employed as seamen on Irish registered ships will normally be insured under the scheme, irrespective of the trade routes concerned.
My Department has no additional scheme in place to compensate or assist dock workers or seamen who are injured in the course of their work, nor has it any proposals under consideration to introduce such a scheme.
