asked the Minister for Labour the weekly average number of redundancies notified to his Department in the first nine months in 1972; and how this compares with the same period last year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundancy Notifications.
30.
The weekly average number of redundancies notified under the Redundancy Payments Acts in the first nine months in 1972 was 196; for the corresponding period in 1971 the number was 147.
These figures are not directly comparable, however, because of the reduction in the qualifying period for redundancy payments from four to two years, under the Redundancy Payments Act, 1971, which became effective as from 1st September, 1971, and the raising of the limit for compulsory insurance from £1,200 to £1,600 per annum with effect from 3rd May, 1971.
Is the Minister saying that the figures he has given do not reflect the extent of the redundancy in the first nine months of this year?
I think the Deputy is well aware—I have heard the Minister for Labour tell him this on a number of occasions—that the figures in respect of redundancy claims do not accurately reflect the position in regard to redundancies because of the fact that not everybody who becomes redundant is entitled to claim redundancy payments. There are other reasons but, on that basis alone, clearly the figures do not accurately reflect the redundancy position.