Vol. 515 No. 1
77 Mr. O'Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals, if any, she has to ensure that before any work begins on a building contract the contractor has the appropriate insurance in place for the duration of the contract either in the private or public sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5341/00]
I have no proposals to introduce compulsory insurance in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy. I understand that, under contract con ditions which apply where building works are to be paid for wholly or partly from Exchequer funds, the contractor is required to have insurance. I expect that in the private sector the issue of whether a contractor is insured would be part of the vetting process before the contract is awarded.
I consider that good health and safety procedures are equally important. The Health and Safety Authority implements the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations, 1995, which transpose an EU directive concerning minimum safety and health requirements on construction sites. These regulations constitute one of the most detailed pieces of legislation dealing with any one specific industry. They introduce the concept of a chain of responsibility, thus making health and safety an integral part of construction work from inception through to completion, and place specific obligations on all participants, that is, clients, designers, contractors, employers and employees.
