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To: Public Accounts Committee
End Privatisation by Stealth and Outsourcing, Investigate Abtran!
✍️ Petition: Public Scrutiny of Abtran and Morgan McKinley
To: Members of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee
We, the undersigned, call on the Public Accounts Committee to urgently examine the practices of Abtran, both of which benefit from substantial public contracts.
Despite receiving millions in taxpayer-funded contracts, Abtran has:
- Refused to engage with a trade union, in defiance of a Labour Court recommendation.
- Relied on off-shore entities in the British Virgin Islands for “tax efficiency,” raising serious concerns about transparency and public value for money.
- Paid workers at or near the minimum wage, with minimal benefits, despite being entrusted with delivering core public services.
This is a matter of public interest.
Taxpayers have a right to expect that companies receiving significant state contracts uphold high standards in:
- Accountability – fair and transparent tax practices.
- Fair Work – respecting Labour Court rulings and workers’ rights.
- Value for Money – ensuring public contracts do not subsidise exploitative practices.
We therefore call on the Public Accounts Committee to:
- Scrutinise Abtran and Morgan McKinley’s corporate structures and use of offshore entities.
- Examine their compliance with Labour Court recommendations and fair employment standards.
- Review whether their conduct meets the standards expected of government contractors.
Ireland deserves public service delivery partners who respect workers, pay their fair share, and act transparently in the public interest.
Why is this important?
End Privatisation by Stealth - End Outsourcing
It is important because Abtran, despite receiving millions in taxpayer-funded government contracts, refuses to abide by a Labour Court recommendation to engage with a trade union, pays many of its staff the minimum wage, and makes use of offshore structures in the British Virgin Islands to reduce its tax liabilities. When a company entrusted with delivering public services does not have service pay, adequate Christmas bonuses or collective bargaining for its workers, it undermines both the integrity of our public procurement system and the principles of fairness that should underpin public service delivery. This is not just a workplace issue—it is a matter of accountability, transparency, and value for money for everyone who pays taxes in Ireland.
It is important because Abtran, despite receiving millions in taxpayer-funded government contracts, refuses to abide by a Labour Court recommendation to engage with a trade union, pays many of its staff the minimum wage, and makes use of offshore structures in the British Virgin Islands to reduce its tax liabilities. When a company entrusted with delivering public services does not have service pay, adequate Christmas bonuses or collective bargaining for its workers, it undermines both the integrity of our public procurement system and the principles of fairness that should underpin public service delivery. This is not just a workplace issue—it is a matter of accountability, transparency, and value for money for everyone who pays taxes in Ireland.
Other people should join this campaign because it is about ensuring that public money is spent responsibly and ethically. If we allow companies like Abtran to continue receiving huge state contracts without scrutiny, we risk normalising low pay, weak worker protections, and aggressive tax avoidance in Ireland’s public sector supply chain. By standing together, we can push the Public Accounts Committee to act in the public interest, demand higher standards from contractors, and protect the rights of workers. Joining this campaign is not only about supporting Abtran employees—it is about demanding a fairer, more transparent Ireland where taxpayer funds are used to strengthen, not weaken, our communities.
How it will be delivered
In person