Why Have An Garda Siochana Not Acted on Secret 2016 Asbestos Report Into Garda Stations?
Why Have An Garda Siochana Not Acted on Secret 2016 Asbestos Report Into Garda Stations? - The Labour Party
In the Dail this morning, Deputy Alan Kelly brought to the attention of the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, the fact that there was a report on the prevalence of asbestos in 74 Garda stations around the country that has not been acted on and could have serious consequences.
The Minister had no knowledge of the report and was never told about it by the Garda Commisisoner or his officials.
The report was from a Joint Task Force of the Office of Public Works, An Garda Siochana and the State Claims Agency and it reported in December 2016.
On December 22nd 2016 the State Claims Agency notified An Garda Síochána by way of report of their assessment of risks arising from the presence of excessive levels of asbestos in 74 Garda Stations. The Director of the State Claims Agency identified of those 74 Garda Stations that 12 Stations, in particular, there was a need of remedial work and that should immediately commence. They were Mountjoy, Kevin Street, Naas, Santry, Bandon, Kilmainham, Ashbourne, Newcastlewest, Baltinglass, Tramore, Blackrock and Blessington.
On January 3rd 2017 – this report was sent to the Head of Garda Health and Safety and was copied the head of the then Head of Garda Estate for their “Necessary Attention”.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Deputy Kelly said:
“What is astonishing is that in the report, the State Claims Agency warned then that ‘unless the remedial work was undertaken, the SCA would be unable to defend future claims’. Yet I understand that there has been virtually very little of this remedial work done.
“The situation came to light recently when Santry Garda station had to close for a period because of the presence of asbestos.
“The situation regarding the lack of action by An Garda Siochana on this matter is further exacerbated by the fact that the Asbestos Directive is to be transposed into Irish law by December 21st 2025.
“It provides for a 10x decrease in the ‘Maximum Occupational Exposure Limits’ from a time weighted average over 8 hours of exposure. It moves the maximum acceptable limit down from the existing 0.1 to 0.01. So the maximum occupational exposure limit is effectively decreasing by 90% by EU Directive. Binding Occupational Exposure Limits are legal maximum limits.
“Where does that leave An Gard Siochana? The Minister hadn’t any knowledge of this and wasn’t aware of any risk to the members of the force or visitors to these stations. Nor was he made aware of any potential liability to the state despite what the State Claims Agency said in the report.
“I want to ask the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris, 5 simple questions:
1. When was the Department of Justice and the Garda Commissioner both independently made aware of this report?
2. Were the works advised by the State Claims Agency in its 2016 report ever carried out and if so can he detail them across the Garda Stations detailed in the report?
3. Were the employees working in the 12 critical stations identified by the State Claims Agency in 2016, ever notified by him, by Garda Health and Safety or Garda Estate Management of these known risks in their working environments?
4. Were there any protective arrangements put in place in those stations for vulnerable employees, contractors, visitors to these stations?
5. Over the course of the Garda Commissioner’s tenure what ‘risk assessment’ and ‘control measures’ did he implement to manage this known risk?”