Ulster Unionist Economy spokesperson Sandra Overend has met with sub-contractors affected by the Patton group being placed into administration.
Sandra, who represents Mid-Ulster, said;
“Today I met with a number of sub-contractors affected by the collapse of the Patton group who came to Stormont to make representations to MLAs of all parties and representatives of Invest NI and DETI.
They outlined the full scale of the situation which due to a ripple effect, has badly affected a number of small and medium businesses totalling over 2,000 employees and who are owed nearly £15m from Pattons.
Many of these sub-contractors told us that they have contracts on their books but their problem is survival in the short term due to the loss of contracts related to the Patton group.
The sub-contractors vented their frustration that under the insolvency legislation the banks will receive the money owed to them first and the sub-contractors will be paid last, and they called on the Department to explore the possibility of financial assistance.
The firms present stated their intention to set up a sub-committee to liaise with the all-party group on construction and I will work with them to ensure that the Assembly and Executive take all steps available to them to help alleviate the impact of the Patton situation on the sub-contractors.”