Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin announced today that all new work permits to the Turkish multinational GAMA Construction Ireland have been suspended.
Mr Martin also confirmed that the investigation into the company for possible breaches of employment law will be continuing. This is despite the company issuing a statement claiming to have made up any wages which were short due to an error in calculation.
The construction company has been under investigation since Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins TD raised questions in the Dáil last month about its employment practices. He accused GAMA Construction of employing Turkish workers on lower wages and longer hours than their Irish counterparts and treating them like modern-day "bonded labour."
Today Mr Higgins said "the statement issued today by Gama Construction that they had underpaid their employees by amounts of up to 3,500 as a result of a mistake, is a mockery of the truth."
"This is a cynical exercise to cover up an organised system of criminal exploitation of Turkish workers in Ireland by Gama," he said.
"I note that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment state that their investigation into Gama is ongoing and I am satisfied with this," Mr Higgins added.
Gama has more than 10,000 employees in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and its Irish subsidiary, Gama Construction Ireland, has landed a number of sought-after projects, including power plants, major road developments and local authority housing estates.