While further reductions in unemployment levels are to be welcomed, many construction workers in the north west are travelling to Dublin, Galway and elsewhere to work. Heretofore a payment known as "country money" was paid to construction workers, including bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, welders and so on, who had to travel and stay away from home for at least four nights per week. The payment rate is currently set at €181.68 per week. The last time this allowance was increased was on 1 July 2008, even though it was to be increased every six months and in line with increases in the consumer price index. Will the Taoiseach consult the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation on this and urge her to bring together the relevant trade unions and the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, to look at this because it is causing a lot of hardship for those who have to travel to work and stay away from home for several nights? In the context of the rising cost of accommodation, this allowance needs to be looked at again.

There is so much construction related travel taking place at the moment because of the very large increase in the number of primary care centres, public transport schemes and homes that are being built. That is creating challenges within the construction sector as it tries to supply the necessary workers. The Government has recently set up a construction sector working group and that is the best forum in which to deal with the issue raised by the Deputy. As he knows, what employers in the private sector pay their own employees is a matter for them, although it is an area in which both the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission have been involved. The construction sector working group includes representatives of the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, and a number of Departments and is the best forum in which to analyse the matter raised by the Deputy.