THE Government is to crack down on illegal sub contractors in the building industry from early July.
The Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, is to introduce procedures requiring all sub-contractors and their main hiring contractor to declare that the sub-contracting arrangement is genuine.
The Revenue Commissioners will require sub-contractors to have a fixed place of business, provide their own materials and equipment and register for VAT.
The move has been welcomed by Mr Niall Irwin of the Plasterers' Union, who says that workers who are forced to work as sub-contractors have 35 per cent of their money withheld for tax but are not entitled to some social welfare payments.