Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Higgins and Boyd Barrett for their questions. The legislation has been passed in respect of sub-contractors and I would invite the Deputies to give me the examples to which they refer and where they see abuse in the system because we will carry out an investigation into it. I would be very happy to hear from both Deputies.

Social partnership as it existed before was not adequate to deal with the problem because it was all carried on away from this House. All of those discussions took place in rooms far from here. That is not going to happen in the future. We are not going back to that structure. I see an opportunity here arising through the spring economic statement as to how we can change this so that this House, the representatives of all the people of the country, can have their say, their view and their proposals in respect of the challenge we all face ahead.

Deputy Higgins mentioned the mortgage situation. I met with a number of the personal insolvency practitioners last week and I am not happy with the conduct of a number of the banks in this regard. These people were appointed to do a particular job, to work out a solution for people who are in mortgage distress but they are not paying attention to what they should be doing. I will return to that subject again later.

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