asked the Minister for Social Welfare what action his Department have taken against a firm in Dublin (name supplied) who, despite numerous requests, have failed to return insurance card No. 1067010 to its owner.

Arising out of its failure to comply with its statutory obligations in regard to the stamping of the social insurance cards of a number of its employees, legal proceedings have been instituted against the firm in question. In the meantime the insurance card of the person whose social insurance number the Deputy mentions has been recovered and the contributions paid thereon have been credited to that person's insurance record.

Would the Minister have any idea of the delay?

Does the Minister know that this firm have a contract with the Government in spite of the fact that they are not obeying the laws about social insurance?

The Deputy does not expect us to make sure that they do all——

I do not think there is any point in paying them money to do a job for the Government when they are not obeying the laws of the country about social insurance in respect of their own employees.

This is a matter for the courts rather than for Government sanctions.

Why make it easy for them?

Is the Deputy proposing that sanctions other than the law should be brought to bear in this case.

I am proposing that when the Government give a contract to some firm they should ensure that firm stamp the workers' insurance cards. It is as simple as that.

I think if you applied that to Irish firms and could not apply it to competing firms abroad you would have considerable difficulties in this House.

That is a defeatist attitude.

It is the investigation I mean.

No. They are being brought to court under the normal process of the law. There is no defeatist attitude. To imply that you should investigate that all employees are properly stamped up in an Irish firm before getting the contract would cause considerable difficulty for Irish firms.

Do you not lay down conditions before you award the contract?

There should be some better method to allow employees to see their cards and to see that they are stamped.

I understand what the Deputy means. The other side were talking of having sanctions against the firm other than bringing them to court for not stamping cards.

Could the Minister say when court proceedings were instituted?

No, it does not say.

There was a complaint lodged with the Department by this woman over four months ago and she got no satisfaction at all from the Department.

There are civil proceedings as well.