Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I refer to the scandal originally revealed to the House by Deputy Joe Higgins, namely the disgraceful exploitation of a large number of workers employed by Gama Construction Ireland Limited. In the last intervention by the Taoiseach he accused Deputy Joe Higgins of not having complied with or produced the information to the investigation. We all now know that this is not true even though the report has been injuncted by the company. The facts are in the public domain. The Tánaiste, in keeping with the PD mantra, went to Turkey to recruit Gama Construction for public sector contracts in this country. Gama Construction were given public sector contracts which provided for the going rate in the building industry to be paid to their workers. The quality of work is not an issue. Far from introducing competition into the domestic market, Gama Construction was disgracefully undercutting Irish and EU employers and workers and siphoning off the greater part of the workers' wages to Finansbank in Holland.

What action is the Government prepared to take as a matter of urgency to secure for these workers in this jurisdiction their rights and entitlements under the registered agreement for the building industry? The difference between €2.20 per hour, which is what the workers are paid as the general operative rate, and the construction industry rate of €12.96 is deposited in Finansbank Holland which in turn transferred it to a finance company called Ryder Investments. The bank has control over that money. What the workers need by this weekend is a clear statement from that bank of their entitlements. Is the Taoiseach prepared to instruct the Irish ambassador to take whatever measures are necessary, in co-operation with his opposite number in Holland, to secure the minimal entitlement of these workers, that is, a statement of their rights and entitlements which they can examine over the weekend?

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