Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am determined to get to the bottom of this. I am determined to find out who is culpable and where the responsibility lies. Obviously that will be a job for my legal team, the team in the Chief State Solicitor's Office, CSSO, and the Attorney General. The 2014 regulations are very clear that the sanctions are not just fines; they also include imprisonment. There must be culpability and an effort to bring culpability and accountability to bear.

Mention was made of Northern Ireland companies in general. I certainly will not tar all companies with the same brush. A lot of Northern Ireland companies do good work in the South. The work of Western Building Systems, WBS, in Rush was mentioned. I will let Mr. Loftus answer on the assessment carried out in 2015. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised this in the Dáil the week before last.

The Deputy asked about ongoing WBS projects. Yes, there are such projects, namely, a temporary building in Sandymount and a build in Wicklow. We are faced with a decision on whether to stop those projects or add more vigilance and oversight while they are ongoing. Obviously we have made the decision to go with the later option. The projects should continue to completion. We are in direct contact with the Attorney General and the CSSO in regard to future contracts but we did think about that question. We looked at what the implications would be if those projects were stopped and we felt the negative would outweigh the positive. However, extra oversight is in place.

Deputy Coppinger also mentioned whistleblowers. If she has any evidence or if there is evidence within the Department, I am happy to pursue it.