The competence of some FÁS employees was questioned by the Fine Gael spokesman on enterprise and employment, Mr Phil Hogan, during the debate on the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill. Michael O'Regan reports.
He said that by approving trainers and assessors, FÁS acted as a guarantor of quality of services delivered.
"I have reason to believe that in a number of instances the rigour one would expect FÁS to apply in approving trainers or assessors has not been up to scratch. For example, I understand a company was approved by FÁS to provide training and assessment even though it had been suspended from a similar scheme operated by its counterparts in Northern Ireland and Great Britain."
Mr Hogan said the development of the construction skills certification scheme had created a market for training in health and safety that was worth many millions of euro.
"Unless FÁS applies the most rigorous tests to those whom it approves, there is a real danger that unscrupulous operators, who see the opportunity to make a quick buck, will move into this market." They were not, he said, discussing some academic exercise in approving trainers, "but we are talking about an issue that could have many implications, including death".
The last thing required was that invalidated certificates were given to people to operate machinery, scaffolding equipment and all the other important issues relating to safety on construction sites without the proper training.
"If rogue trainers and assessors are allowed loose on the market, lives may be put at risk."
Mr Hogan said a significant number of the 90 people killed in that area of activity during the past five years were operating in the construction industry.
Introducing the Bill, the Minister of State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Tony Killeen, said it represented a modernisation of the State's occupational health and safety laws.
"While its primary focus is on the prevention of workplace accidents, illnesses and dangerous occurrences, the Bill provides also for significantly increased fines and penalties which are aimed at deterring the minority who continue to flout safety and health laws."
The Bill provided for a scheme, requiring regulations, whereby on-the-spot fines could be introduced for minor safety and health offences. It also provided that directors and managers in firms could be held liable to prosecution if they were complicit in deaths and accidents at work.
Mr Killeen said the Bill imposed additional new duties on employers and employees and struck a balance between the roles and duties to be placed on them.
"It includes important new protection for employees against penalisation for exercising rights or duties related to safety and health at work and contains new provisions on safety consultation between employers and employees."