Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I understand that the Minister of State is working on particular projects and I am trying to ascertain whether those projects will close off all possibility of this type of exploitation in the future. We have had a collapse in the construction industry and that collapse has led to an overabundance of skilled construction workers who are unemployed and claiming social welfare. As a result, some employers have engaged in very sharp practices based on the principle of using the crisis to their own benefit. They have been exploiting individuals who are hungry for work and forcing them to work under improper pay terms and conditions. The situation at Kishoge Community College is an example of this and the dispute there has been going on for many weeks. Sinn Féin has asked for an urgent investigation into the circumstances there. Are the investigations by the Revenue Commissioners and NERA to which the Minister of State referred complete yet? If they are not complete, when are they expected to be completed? Where is the urgency on this? The people concerned are locked out of the site and winter is fast approaching.

The Government must review all of the projects under its remit and ensure that the contractors and subcontractors are behaving reasonably. If the key investigations are not complete, will the Minister of State commit to their completion ASAP?

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