Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the organisations, bodies or persons with whom he has consulted with in relation to the Construction Contracts Bill 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56418/12]

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 Minister of State Brian Hayes is working with Senator Feargal Quinn to develop the Senator’s private member’s Construction Contracts Bill into a robust piece of legislation.

Minister Hayes sought a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Construction Contracts Bill to give him the opportunity to look at the issue from first principles as the Bill introduces new rights, obligations and systems which will affect contracts and impose new regulatory requirements between clients, contractors and subcontractors across a broad sweep of construction operations in the State.

The RIA included a consultation process which took place on 28 June 2011. Aside from both main opposition spokespeople, Deputy Sean Fleming and Deputy Mary Lou McDonald, the groups that took part in the consultation process were: the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland; Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Construction Industry Federation; Engineers Ireland; Mr. Sean Gallagher (Smart Homes), Irish Concrete Federation, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland; and, Society of Chartered Surveyors.

This consultation highlighted a number of matters relating to the Bill that required further consideration. These have been taken into account in the RIA on the Bill which was completed late last year and is available on my Department’s website: www.per.gov.ie/reports .