Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Now that Britain is leaving Europe, we have an opportunity to address a major issue that has been around for recent years. I refer to public tenders for major projects like schools, roads, hospitals and nursing homes being given to companies outside the Twenty-six Counties. When politicians and people in local areas ask why tenders are being given to companies in the North or in Britain, we are told that under European legislation, the tenders have to be given in a way that satisfies European law. When the companies that are given these tenders come down, they do not leave anything in the local community. They do not give any local jobs. When €1 million was provided to do up St. Joseph's nursing home in Trim, which is in my constituency, a company from Northern Ireland came down to do the work. When I went up to speak to a few people who were working on the site, they had no problem telling me they were on social welfare in Northern Ireland and were coming down here to work for between £15 and £20 sterling - cash in hand - a day. How can that be fair to an Irish company that is looking to put in a tender for these projects? Such underhandedness is going on and we cannot check on it. As we move forward, Britain will leave Europe. I would like to see Departments giving more tenders to Irish companies, rather than British or foreign companies. We should look after our own first. I would like the Minister to come in so that we can discuss this issue as we move forward.