Paul Murphy Questions Funding for Ventilation and HSA Staffing

Thanks a lot and thanks Minister. I just want to take the opportunity to ask about a couple of things in relation to funding in terms of ventilation. So the first question is what funding has been provided for small businesses to invest in improved ventilation or filtration systems? So I know, for example, that the Scottish Government set up a €25 million business ventilation fund for SMEs. It seems to me that we could probably do with something similar here. I suppose, Chair, on that one specific, I think there's been a number of supports administered to businesses across a whole area of grants trying to encourage their efforts to deal with COVID, to deal with Brexit, but mainly in relation to ventilation. I think Deputy Murphy, who has a bill in the House for Tomorrow for discussion, is in relation to the response to COVID. And while there's been numerous supports through the restart grants and through the various funds, we have not detailed how that money should be spent on any individual part of the business. We've engaged directly with many, many sectors and they've had a range of requests for funding for various supports. And they've been responding as best we possibly can, but we don't tag that specifically what that money has to be spent on. On the back-to-work protocols, there's a number of guidance and advice there in relation to what we believe the money should be spent on in terms of making your workplace secure for your employees to come back and customers to come in. And part of that is in the ventilation area and advice and guidance on that. I don't have the document with me to refer to, but I'm happy, Deputy Murphy, we can discuss it tomorrow during the discussion as well. And I know you have a particular interest in this area too, which I'm happy to listen to tomorrow as well, as we tease through that. Thanks a lot, Minister. Yeah, I mean, one thing, even in advance of us discussing the bill tomorrow. So it is already the case under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work General Application Regulations 2007, that an employer shall ensure that sufficient fresh air is provided in enclosed places of work and goes on about ventilation systems and so on. A weakness is that it doesn't define what that is. But nonetheless, there is a general legal requirement on employers to provide sufficient fresh air, which obviously has increased importance in the context of COVID. The Health and Safety Authority obviously falls under your department. Do you know how are the Health and Safety Authority policing this requirement in its inspections? Have they got any extra funding to police this particular requirement? Minister, you're on mute there. Minister, you're on mute. Sorry, Minister, back on mute again. How was that? Yeah, it's perfect. Sorry, guys, the gremlins are in the system here. I suppose, in short, Deputy Murphy, yes, the HSA have been given extra resources over the last couple of years, mainly in response to COVID and Brexit. And as you know, they've taken a leading role in that work. And in 2021, there was 54 additional posts were sanctioned for the Health and Safety Authority as part of a phased recruitment process. And out of those 54, 42 of them were inspector-grade posts. There were about 174 staff in 2020, but just under 105 would have been full-time inspectors. And again, they've taken a leading role in conjunction with the other public health system in trying to manage the inspections across a range of workplaces. Some you're very familiar with, and at this stage, while they lead on them, their own inspectors don't carry out every inspection. It's in conjunction with all the others in relation to HSA staff, public health team of the departments as well. And there's a list of inspections that are carried out when they do make that call. I'm sure that includes the ventilation, but the actual detail of the focus of that work I wouldn't have with me. But certainly, I'll request that from the HSA for you, and certainly no problem sharing that with you. But I know when they make inspections generally, they would have a range of issues that they hone in on. As an example, if it's a non-farm inspection, part of the work would also be to take in farm safety as part of the work as well. So it depends on what sector they're visiting, but naturally, ventilation would be part of that, where it's appropriate. And generally, the adherence to the back-to-work protocols and all the safety measures put in place has been quite good. From the last time I checked, the stats were it was over 90% compliance, but all the requirements in that. But I'm happy to get an updated piece for you in relation to that as well, on the area that you're specialising in. Thanks a lot. Just finally, to follow up on that, I mean, I know the Budget 2022 expenditure report, claimed that the HSA had, quote, greatly increased staff. But as far as I understand, it was revealed in March that the HSA had hired one extra inspector in 2020, and then an additional three inspectors by April of this year for a total of 70, which is, I think, I think to call that greatly increased staff is to put a very optimistic loss on it. And the other point, I mean, the Minister referred to the funding being increased by the HSA. But as far as I understand, whenever you take into account the reduction in income from other sources, other than direct department payments, the overall budget of the Health and Safety Authority actually fell last year from $26.76 million to $21.1 million, if you'd like to comment on that. Thanks. In conjunction with working with the HSA and the board there, there was an ask for 2020 and 2021 for additional money for staff and for resources that was sanctioned, and the extra $4.2 million would have been sanctioned to enable the work that we're doing in the Occupational Health Division. And that did result and will result in recruiting extra inspectors and extra staff. I know there's a time lag in trying to source the people they need and train them up and get people with the relevant qualifications, because there's a lot of effort put in by the HSA to make sure the inspectors they hire or employ have the qualifications for the sector that they are focusing on. So the number of staff has increased and will increase, and the resources are in place to achieve that as well. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.