Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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467. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to ensure that workers who are employed by construction companies who are engaged in school building projects (details supplied) are remunerated according to the sectoral norm and are not subject to exploitation; her plans with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to ensure that exploitative practices engaged in by certain construction companies are outlawed and that no further capital projects will be awarded to such companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44031/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware my Department appointed Contractors Administration Services (CAS), to conduct random audits on school building projects. CAS have been requested to carry out a full monitoring service for the duration of the contract at the school in question. Should irregularities be uncovered in terms of non-compliance with relevant employment law, enforcement and prosecution falls under the remit of NERA and my Department will report any discrepancies found to it.

If the audit uncovers any other matters of concern regarding tax compliance or social welfare fraud, such matters will be referred to either the Revenue Commissioners and/or the Department of Social Protection as appropriate.

The Government has recently approved the preparation of legislation to provide for a revised legislative framework to replace the Registered Employment Agreement system and I have recently met with the Minister for Business and Employment, Gerald Nash, to discuss the progress on this new legislation. I am also meeting unions representing construction workers in the coming days to discuss their views on the proposed new legislation.

The new mechanism will allow unions and employers to apply to the Labour Court to initiate a review of pay/pensions/sick pay terms of workers in a particular sector and make recommendations to the Minister for the making of an order in these areas. The new mechanism will also provide for flexibility in response to changing economic circumstances or changes in the make-up of a sector.