Migrant workers say they paid to live on site

Migrant workers leaving the closed Duleek Business Park building site claimed they had to pay €70 a week to live on site in caravans.

The four Romanian nationals said the money was docked from their wages to live in the mobile homes. They also claim they had to pay for diesel to fuel the generators that provided electricity for their temporary homes.

Matieu Anisor, Iorgu Lefter, Mihai Lefter and Sandu Apostu said they were paid by the square metre for their work and their salary varied from week to week.

"One week the wages would be good, the next it would be no good," said Mr Anisor who has been in Ireland for four years.

Since starting work in Duleek last December, they have lived in two mobile homes.

"We were told on Thursday morning that the site was unsafe. Some of the machinery was removed and our jobs were gone. I don't want to go home to Romania," said Mr Anisor.

He added: "I came to Ireland to find work. My wife and daughter are still in Romania and I send money to them in the post each week. Now I have no job and nowhere to go." The workers face an uncertain future and have no alternative employment. Iorgu Lefter brought his teenage son, Mihai, to Ireland to make money for their family in Romania.

"The wages were not better than Romania. My wife wants us to come home, but I need to earn more money," he said.