Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 6

Written Answers. - Irish Workers in Germany.

Noel Davern

Ceist:

15 Mr. Davern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts, if any, he has had with his counterparts in Holland and Germany regarding the treatment of Irish construction workers answering advertisements for work in Germany. [2853/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

Our Embassies in Bonn and The Hague have had contacts with the German and Dutch authorities about difficulties encountered by some Irish construction workers in Germany recruited by agencies based in the Netherlands. The Embassies have expressed concern that a small minority of such workers are exploited by a few unscrupulous agencies and they have pressed for the co-operation of the relevant authorities in addressing the problem.

The difficulties appear to arise because of lack of clarity about the relationship between the Dutch agencies and German construction companies.We have been told that the Dutch and German authorities are co-operating in their response and that the German authorities are engaged in an extensive investigation of the construction industry with a view to prosecuting offending companies.

I understand that workers affected may themselves take proceedings against such companies in the Labour Court in Germany. I also take this opportunity to emphasise the importance of workers in these circumstances checking out the conditions of employment as carefully as possible in advance.