asked the Minister for Labour if he will state in connection with compensation payable to employees under the Redundancy Payments Acts and the Minimum Notice Act in respect of the year ended 31st August, 1974 (a) the number and amount of lump sum awards made by the tribunal where the lump sum was paid from the Redundancy Fund in whole or in part or pending liquidation proceedings and the number of employees and firms involved (b) the number of payments made from the fund other than by tribunal award and (c) the number of firms and employees involved in tribunal decisions on compensation affecting employers and workers also concerned in the redundancy payments from the Redundancy Fund in (a) and (b).
Written Answers. - Redundancy Payments.
211.
The information available on these matters, which differs somewhat in detail from that asked for by the Deputy, is as follows:—
In the year ended 31st August, 1974, the Redundancy Appeals Tribunal dealt with 1,190 appeals of which 266 related to the Minimum Notice Act. 328 of these appeals, including 67 under the Minimum Notice Act, were withdrawn either before or during hearings of the tribunal.
During the period in question, my Department paid lump sums from the Redundancy Fund totalling £163,000 to 615 employees under the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967-73. 104 firms or individual employers were involved. The tribunal was concerned in these payments to the following extent:—
(i) Number of employees in respect of whom decisions had been given by the Redundancy Appeals Tribunal, 83; (ii) Number of firms involved in (i), 48; (iii) amount of lump sum, £16,953.53.
It is not possible to say how many payments were directly attributable to liquidation. There are other reasons why payments have to be made from the fund—receivership, bankruptcy, death of an employer, employer's refusal or inability to pay. The reason for payment from the fund may not be finally established until long after the payment has been made. The Deputy will appreciate that, in order to avoid hardship on the employee, my Department makes the redundancy lump-sum payment from the Redundancy Fund as quickly as possible, consistent with my statutory responsibility as custodian of the fund.
During the same period 16 complaints were received that compensation awarded by the tribunal following appeals by workers under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973, had not been paid. The total amount involved was approximately £1,470. The amounts due from individual employers were subsequently recovered in seven cases and in another six the Chief State Solicitor was instructed to take legal action. The remaining three cases were under consideration on 31st August, 1974.