Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It saddens me tonight to have to raise this matter in the Topical Issue debate. It is outrageous that a major company such as Roadbridge would leave so many people without work. I want to speak about the subcontractors. In Mayo alone, anything up to €13 million may be owed by Roadbridge. It really annoys me that the ESB and Bord na Móna are involved in a big job in north Mayo. I am disappointed that no one from the Department is here to listen to the concerns raised. They need not think they are going to bring in a contractor from England, Northern Ireland, Dublin or wherever. There will be no contractor going into north Mayo until our people are paid their money.

You and I are here a long time, a Cheann Comhairle. I remember many years ago when I spoke in this House against the great public servants and Ministers who are not Ministers when they suggested we had to get major companies to come in and they had to have €1 million plus in their current account before they could apply for contracts from the State. If we had ten or 12 small contractors doing this now-----

See this speech in context