Built heritage fire protection
Brendan Howlin asked whether a heritage fire audit or better protection plans would be put in place after the Notre-Dame fire. The Taoiseach said there were no current plans but that he would raise the suggestion with the relevant Ministers.
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, who is sitting alongside the Taoiseach, has made several very welcome commitments to deal with the issues of bogus self-employment and the failure of employers to vindicate employment rights. Approximately five minutes' walk from Leinster House, there is a public contract job to refurbish the Irish Stock Exchange building. The main contractor is Duggan Brothers. If an official of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection were to go to the site and meet the workers, he or she would discover that 11 workers have been sacked without notice - which is against the law - and are at the loss of several weeks' pay because a subcontractor upped and left and the main contractor is refusing to take any responsibility for this omission. This is occurring under a public contract worth approximately €10 million.