Taoiseach warns Gama not to evict employees

It would be unacceptable for the construction company Gama to evict employees in dispute with the firm from their accommodation, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has warned.

"I hope the company will not dare to evict those workers on stoppage who it provides food and accommodation for," he told the Dáil.

Mr Ahern said he had already "made that position clear to the legal representatives of the company and I do so again here today. Such actions would not be acceptable." Gama's lawyers are currently the Government's only contact with the company.

"This is not the best way to deal with the matter but it has been forced upon us," the Taoiseach told Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins, who first alleged in the Dáil in February that the company was engaged in major exploitation of its Turkish workers.

Mr Higgins called for the State to freeze money due to Gama for contracts, and if necessary it should be "sequestered to pay for the overtime due to the workers". Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton later called for an inquiry into the 1,400 exemptions issued to Gama for PRSI and PAYE which amounted to up to €15 million cost advantage over other employers. "This is not only a scandal but it is also a scam and a fraud," she said during finance questions.

But Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said the exemptions were one of the oldest reliefs found in tax law and had wider implication than Gama. The Revenue Commissioners would examine the labour inspectorate's report on Gama and would take whatever steps they deemed necessary.

Gama has already denied threatening evictions on Turkish workers but said it was taking about 230 people off its payroll.

Mr Higgins called for the State to provide the Turkish workers with bridging social welfare payments. "Lest an eyebrow be raised about this, we should remind ourselves that the State and semi-State contracts which Gama won have saved the State at least €30 million. . . " The Dublin West TD said it was "incredible that the only experience of Irish laws these migrant workers have is the flouting of it by the company that brought them here on the invitation of the Tánaiste".

Mr Ahern said the deputy knew the situation "is not about me, the Tánaiste or any other Minister. The country was trying to deal with infrastructure problems and we were trying to get people in. However, those who come here have to follow the proper law . . ."