Fabrication certification and job losses
Deputy Fitzmaurice links job losses in fabrication to costly CE-marking requirements and poor departmental coordination, seeking joined-up action. The Tánaiste says the relevant Bill’s heads reached Cabinet and expects legislation in the first half of next year.
Thousands of jobs are being lost around the country. Consider the hallmarking (amendment) Bill on metals. In the fabrication industry, there is no joined-up thinking between the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Social Protection and the Environment, Community and Local Government. New CE markings are required for welders. It costs €20,000 to get each company certified. Government policy has done nothing to resolve this problem. Will the Tánaiste enlighten the House as to whether there will be joined-up thinking to stop the rot of job losses around the country?
Comment on this
There was good news yesterday on the jobs front in terms of the increasing number of jobs, but I understand the Deputy's anxiety about seeing the dividend spread to every part of the country. The heads of the legislation that the Deputy referred to were, if my memory serves me correctly, introduced to Cabinet around September. Therefore, I anticipate that this Bill will be before the House in the first half of next year.