Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has announced the publication of the Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023.
The bill was published on Friday 24 March and it will reform and modernise the existing model for the sector. This will make construction an even safer place to work and make the industry more attractive to future workers.
It is a key element in the department’s response to meeting construction skills needs and workforce requirements to meet Housing for All and National Development Plan targets.
Safety skills will be embedded into worker skills development, making the workplace safer and making safety management easier for employers.
The new legislation also gives recognition to people on site who are not qualified apprentices or professionals but do have relevant construction skills. They will be able to obtain a licence which recognises their skills as they relate to the person’s activities on site.
One of the significant changes to the industry will be the establishment of a new licensing authority. The authority will replace the existing training model where qualification certificates are issued for life.
Workers will now have to hold a licence and will have to renew those licences periodically to keep their skills and training up to date.
The new authority will keep a register of licensees and will also act as the competent authority to recognise qualifications gained from outside of the State.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“I am delighted to formally publish the Construction Safety Licensing Bill, which is a central pillar to my department’s response to Housing for All skills and workforce needs.
“This is a hugely important day for our construction workers. Health and safety training is absolutely paramount to workers as they go to site each day and carry out what can be very hazardous activities.
“This legislation’s core objective is to raise the standard of health and safety awareness in the construction sector, through skills training. Workers will now be required to hold a licence rather than a certificate and will be required to undertake reassessment periodically to renew their licence for a specified activity.
“Making these licences renewable ensures that workers remain competent, that they have the tools and knowledge to act in a safe and reliable manner and will help to ensure that they are not a risk to themselves or others in their workplace.
“We have continually produced highly skilled workers for our construction and quarrying sectors, and this legislation will ensure that our impressive output continues.”
Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins added:
“The licensing model will introduce reassessment for renewal, which is key reform necessary to the current process.
“Our aim with this Bill is to make our workers feel safe at their workplace, building on a review on that very topic, which was conducted in 2017. This legislation clearly demonstrates the value that our construction workers play to our economic and societal goals, and their safety and wellbeing at work should be central to this.”
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and the Quarries Skills Certification Scheme (QSCS) provide for the training, assessment, certification and registration of non-craft operatives for occupations within the construction and quarrying sectors, as defined under the relevant legislation.
The CSCS and QSCS programmes are delivered by SOLAS Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and tutors. Successful trainees receive QQI accreditation and a CSCS/QSCS Registration Card. Cards are currently renewable every five years. Renewal is on the basis of payment of an appropriate fee with no requirement for re-certification or proof of competence.
The development of this legislation follows an independent review of SOLAS’s Construction Services Unit in 2017. A Technical Working Group was established representing all stakeholders in the construction sector in Ireland. This Group produced a report on how to progress recommendations in the review and a number of key areas were identified. Of interest regarding this legislation, the following recommendations were highlighted:
Approval in principle to develop the General Scheme of the Bill was received in March 2021. A targeted consultation process was undertaken in January 2022 with key construction industry stakeholders and in September 2022, approval was received for the General Scheme after the consultation process. A waiver was received for the pre-legislative scrutiny stage based on the urgency of this legislation. Following engagement with the Office of the Attorney General, the contents and publication of the Draft Bill was then approved in December 2022.