Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the investigation which is planned into the disclosure that Polish workers employed by a contractor at the ESB power station in Moneypoint were being paid well below the national minimum wage; the sanctions or penalties available against companies in such situations; the measures which have been taken by his Department to date to ensure full compliance with all labour standards by all contractors, especially those working for State companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11257/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The labour inspectorate of the Department is responsible for monitoring certain employment conditions for all categories of workers in Ireland, including immigrant workers. The inspectorate operates without any differentiation with regard to worker nationality as statutory employment rights and protections apply to immigrant workers in exactly the same manner as they do to other workers.

The labour inspectorate contacted the principal parties in this issue on Tuesday, March 13 and subsequently met senior representatives of the ESB and their agents and these contacts have been ongoing since. In the meantime, inspectors have commenced inquiries with the contractor concerned in this case and have visited both the head office and the site in Moneypoint. These inquiries are continuing and a further visit is planned.

I may have read most of this reply in response to four or five previous questions.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Do any of the 31 inspectors speak a foreign language or is it a requirement that they do so? Some of the most common foreign languages involved in this sector are Czech, Polish and Latvian. I do not argue that they should speak these languages. I am interested in whether they do because a major communication problem exists. The Department's website is not in operation. Do the inspectors have access to interpreters? That would be important.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The inspectors have access to interpreters in this case and make use of them. That was one of the matters which slowed down progress in obtaining information initially. To the best of my knowledge the Department's website was corrected and is back up and running since 21 March. I understand the correction was made in one place and it was assumed that the package automatically changed it everywhere else. That did not turn out to be the case and making the change became a difficult process. Some places on the website showed €7.65 while others showed the old rate of €7.