Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Joe Higgins raised one case in the House and I asked the Minister immediately to follow it up. I am not arguing about that case. At the time the Deputy said he would get the information about that case, which he did, and we have investigated it. However, the labour inspectorate nor any of the workers concerned in that case have registered a formal complaint. We have examined the contract, but no formal complaint has been lodged. Most of the workers coming here are from three categories. Polish workers represent about 47%, Lithuanians more than 27% and about 12% are Latvians.

These are European workers and all of our Irish labour legislation is compatible with their requirements. We have made it absolutely clear at every level, through companies, chambers of commerce, trades councils, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and all its affiliates, that this is the position. Some employers seem to be paying the rate as set down in the registered employment agreement for the construction industry, the REA, as it has been known for 30 years, not the going rate. For the benefit of Deputy Joe Higgins and anyone who has ever been involved in negotiations, it is not only workers from outside the State who fall into this category. That has been regular practice by employers and in law it is matter for the parties concerned to regularise whatever contract is in place. In so far as there is any information, the inspectors are dealing with that. My point is that there is very little information. A number of people have raised this issue, but there is very little hard information. Any information forthcoming will be investigated.

As regards some of the non-European countries, if the Deputy is raising that issue today it is a separate question. I appreciate there have been more complaints in that regard concerning people who come here from Nigeria, Bulgaria and Romania. However, we have been treating Romania and Bulgaria as accession countries, even though their citizens do not come under the same agreement, and they are enjoying the same conditions as Irish workers. These matters are being investigated. If it becomes a case that requires more resources, the answer to Deputy Joe Higgins is that it will have to be better resourced. However, there is a genuine attempt to investigate comprehensively, as the Deputy has accepted, any of these cases as they arise. It is not acceptable under Irish labour law that employers treat these people differently to what is set down in the legislation. I have gone out of my way to make that clear, by every means possible, to protect vulnerable people who might be abused.

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