Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, both bodies are commercial State bodies under the remit of the Department of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, will be alerted to the fact that Deputy Fitzmaurice has raised this on the floor of the House today. I am sure the Minister will respond directly to the Deputy in that regard also.

Deputy Fitzmaurice has made clear the strength of feeling that there is on the ground about this issue. It is always incredibly difficult when a receivership process is entered into. There can be losers and there can be victims. We hear the Deputy's strong desire to ensure that the local contractors, who have been part of this important local project, are not among those victims. All that I can do is ask, on behalf of the Government, that there be engagement between all of the relevant parties involved here. Our first priority was to ensure that the employees were looked after and that their rights were vindicated, and I believe that the relevant Departments of worked together in that regard. We are also concerned, of course, about the outcome in all of this for the subcontractors concerned. I hope that their needs and their situation will be taken into account, albeit recognising that this is a statutory process now that is governed by law.

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