Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is a promise in the programme for Government regarding the provision of €42 billion in capital investment, including in respect of infrastructure. While this is obviously good news, too many construction workers are being forced into bogus self-employment contracts. In March, a full four months ago, I asked when the report led by the Department of Finance on bogus subcontracting would be published. At the time the then Minister for Social Protection and now Taoiseach said it would be published in a number of weeks. It is now four months later and there is still no action from Government. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions estimates that this practice has cost the State €80 million annually since 2007 - twice the amount lost to the Exchequer from overpayments and social welfare fraud - but we are not seeing the same level of attention from Ministers on that loss of revenue as we are in respect of the others. When will the report be published? When will the Government introduce the necessary legislation? When will Government start to take serious action to protect workers and the taxpayer and drive out bogus subcontracting?

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