Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I may be stretching the interpretation of charges on this point but not of consumer protection. Mr. Fielding is aware of the following example. A subcontractor on a State contract worked for a main contractor with ongoing financial difficulty but who was, ultimately, paid by the State. He had to open up a new bank account in a separate bank to guarantee he could pay his subcontractors. His fear was that if he put the sum into his main bank, it would be gobbled up in respect of liabilities in other areas. There are high profile cases of State contracts, particularly in education, where schools have been picketed because subcontractors were not paid. Is there any role for the Central Bank of Ireland in respect of subcontractors having their rights protected? Can these issues be addressed in respect of ongoing contracts, whether State or otherwise, to guarantee payment to subcontractors who have carried out work and are due to be paid by the main contractor, who will not see the funds if the payment goes to his main bank account because of other liabilities?