Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1216. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure that all construction companies pay PRSI and social insurance contributions for all construction employees and that main contractors for State contracts, including PPPs must be fully legally responsible for those contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46139/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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All companies within the construction and, indeed all other sectors, are obliged in law to ensure that PRSI contributions are duly recorded and remitted for their employees. My Department undertakes a number of specific compliance measures as part of its Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy 2014-2018 using our own inspectorate – the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) - as well as joint working with other state agencies, notably, the Revenue Commissioners and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The construction sector is actively monitoring to ensure compliance.

This work facilitates an approach whereby compliance issues can be aggregately examined across agencies and involves the examination of contractors and employees engaged on construction sites.

Where details of specific cases are supplied to my Department, they are investigated and the insurability of the person or persons concerned is determined. If evidence of non-compliance or misclassification of employment status is detected, this is pursued. Inspections are also conducted by the SIU on once-off builds. The SIU will also investigate reports where information is received about persons engaged in concurrent working and claiming of benefits and/or the non-payment of tax as shadow economy workers in the construction sector.

The Deputy may also like to note that the SIU works in co-operation with welfare anti-fraud agencies in Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions where any suspicion is raised that abuse of the social welfare and social security systems may have cross-border features.

Particular emphasis has been given to the Education Capital Building Programme with the inspection focus towards larger projects and sites. This Department, Revenue and the WRC are actively engaged with the Department of Education & Skills and have obtained details of their capital investment programme and locations where construction is currently underway or due to commence.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.