Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to bring amendments to the Construction Contract Bill at Committee Stage to make arrangements for suppliers to be able to retrieve construction materials that are incorporated into the structure of the building from site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24376/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new legislation to protect small building subcontractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies. In this regard, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, is working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator's Private Members Construction Contracts Bill into a robust piece of legislation. The Bill is now at Second Stage in the Dáil. During the Second Stage reading of the Bill, the Minister of State signalled to the House his intention to bring proposals to the Government on Committee Stage amendments to deal with certain issues. In order to ensure the legislation applies to majority of Construction Contracts, the scope of the legislation will be broadened by reducing or removing the current monetary thresholds contained in the Bill. The issue of making adjudication awards binding for both the public and private sectors is a complex one. It is important to strike the right balance between giving this legislation the necessary enforcement provisions and ensuring the application of the legislation is equitable and the taxpayer is safeguarded. Proposals are being developed to broaden the scope of the legislation to include bespoke construction supply contracts. However, I understand this is likely to be difficult to define in a manner that is easy to interpret. When these and a number of other technical issues have been examined, the Minister of State will bring proposals to the Government in advance of Committee Stage. This is an important piece of legislation aimed at creating a more level playing field between contractor and subcontractor in the construction sector. Therefore, is it essential that a number of complex issues are properly assessed to avoid imposing unnecessary regulatory or cost burdens on parties in dispute, the State or others.