Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when the investigation by her Department into complaints make against contractors working at a publically-funded construction project (details supplied) will be complete; if this investigation will conclude before the project is completed; and to outline the action that will be taken against the contractors should the complaints by workers be upheld by her Department. [40575/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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My Department is committed to tackling all forms of shadow economy activity and, in this regard, Departmental inspectors carry out visits to a wide range of businesses, including building sites, as part of their on-going compliance operations. In many instances, such visits are undertaken jointly with other State agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners and the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA).

The location and site referred to was visited by inspectors from my Department’s Special Investigation Unit and officers from Revenue and NERA on 23rd September 2014.

Given the different types of work (block laying, roofing, electrical, etc.) that may occur on a building site at different times of a construction, visits to such sites are not necessarily in the form of a ‘specific time bound investigation’ into activities on any particular site. Such visits are ‘open ended’ fact-finding visits wherein evidence of compliance or non-compliance may be detected. Where evidence of non-compliance or mis-classification of employment status is detected, appropriate action against those found to be non-compliant is taken.

On foot of the representations made by the Deputy, the issues highlighted are being comprehensively examined in light of the above inspection. However, a person’s compliance and employment status is confidential to that individual. In that regard, the Department cannot give specific details of either on-going areas of concern or the outcome of their operations on building sites (including sites of publically funded projects) as that may contravene confidentiality.