Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023. It is imperative for the future of the construction industry in Ireland and for the safety of all workers in that sector. I previously worked on several construction sites when I was younger. I will never forget one incident. A foreman asked me to walk out on a scaffolding plank seven storeys up, while he got other workers to stand on the plank just behind me, to knock off a piece of shuttering. That is how dangerous some of these sites can be, with people who have no care for the safety of their workers. It is important to see that provisions are being made to streamline the regulations around making a complaint against rogue contractors and those engaging in dangerous and non-compliant practices on sites and developments. They still exist to this day.

As we know, some construction companies are driven purely by greed and profit and are keen to cut corners and keep costs down against all health and safety measures, good practice and professionalism. The hiring of unqualified workers has had a profound effect on the quality and safety of buildings and the safety of other workers on site. This afternoon we met with a group of residents from the Tallaght-Clondalkin area who are still fighting for their rights, having been let down time and again. They have costs of up to €46,000 per apartment to try to remedy the health and safety and fire issues that a construction company left them with. They told me that the same construction company has built hundreds more houses following their development. It is the same construction company with the same directors, building right next door to them. How galling is it to see the legacy they have been left with while this builder is still building? It is incredible.

I welcome section 24 of the Bill, in chapter 2, which requires workers to hold a relevant worker’s licence. It stipulates that those who do not hold a licence are guilty of an offence. That is at the core of many of the legacy issues we have. Unqualified people were taken on, knowingly unqualified, to work as electricians, carpenters and others. They were doing important work but were completely unqualified. The Bill should also include a section to deal with the rogue construction company that knowingly employed people in trades for which they did not hold the relevant licence.

It is of the utmost importance for the licensing authority to be well regulated and established in a clear and transparent process. Positions on the authority must be awarded to those with the experience and knowledge to carry out their duty in the required manner. The regulation of tutors and approved training organisations in this Bill is welcome. I hope that within their remit, the licensing authority and the Department would look to increase the numbers of people taking up apprenticeships that would benefit the construction industry. This would also alleviate the problem of unqualified persons taking jobs such as electricians, bricklayers and carpenters, which are jobs that require appropriate training in order to carry out their trades efficiently and safely. As of May 2022 the number of apprenticeships waiting for all phases of off-the-job training included 3,316 in the electrical trade, 1,162 in plumbing, 844 in carpentry and 98 in bricklaying and stonelaying. We hear time and again that people with skills and trades are needed for the construction industry, yet here are close to 6,000 potentially fully qualified tradespeople who need the Government to invest in training schemes to make sure they are on sites, putting their talents to work and building much-needed homes.

Sinn Féin carried out a survey in 2022 which showed that many apprentices who are working full time are on very low pay, with some below minimum wage. Many people told us that travel and accommodation grants simply do not match the real costs of travel and accommodation. Grants do not cover the real costs for apprentices. They are put under huge financial pressure by rising costs. The survey found that 84% of apprentices have had to cut down on essentials such as buying groceries or turning on the heating. Some 72% have had to take on debt since starting their apprenticeships. Almost half said they are worried they may have to give up their apprenticeships simply because they cannot afford to keep going. This would have a devastating impact on a range of industries. It would also have a major impact on construction and retrofitting.

See this speech in context