Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The completion of the Bill is a significant achievement on which I congratulate the Senator. I thank especially Ms Anne Ó Broin who works with Senator Quinn and Mr. David O'Brien and Mr. Ronan O'Reilly from the Department. Senator Quinn, in referring to the late Deputy Brian Lenihan from the Dublin West constituency, reminds us that this Bill was first introduced when Mr. Lenihan was Minister for Finance. It was the late Minister who agreed to the legislation. Things move on and it is only right that Senator Quinn should recognise the late Mr. Lenihan's contribution during the term of the previous Government in accepting the legislation.

We must recognise that the construction industry is a fundamental part of national recovery. The sector must be sustainable but is currently unsustainable in that it accounts for less than 4% of gross domestic product when it should account for 10% or 11% of GDP. I accept it was not sustainable when it accounted for 20% of GDP.

The Government hopes that this key legislation, which is being enacted on the initiative of Senator Quinn, will set a new standard that is based on fairness across the construction industry. It will introduce rules, contracts and regulations that will help the sector grow and prosper. We need a prosperous construction industry and I hope the actions we take, with Senator Quinn and others in the House, will help it get back on its feet again. Construction must be a key driver of economic growth.